Western Indo-Burma and Eastern Himalayas
bangladesh/india
Stretching from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh into the forested hills of Northeast India. This area forms the westernmost edge of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot merging into the Eastern Himalayas; a mosaic of rich but fragile forest ecosystems.
our work
Home of the Western Hoolock Gibbon
PRCF’s working area represents one of the most important biodiversity conservation zones in South Asia; a region where South and Southeast Asia converge, stretching from the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh into the forested hills of Northeast India. This area forms the westernmost edge of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot and merges into the Eastern Himalayas, creating a mosaic of rich but fragile forest ecosystems.
This transboundary landscape supports some of the last remaining viable populations of the endangered Western Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock hoolock); the only ape species found in the Indian subcontinent and a vital indicator of healthy forest ecosystems.
PRCF’s engagement here reflects over three years of groundwork to build strong, collaborative conservation partnerships. Working closely with our local partners: the Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA) in Bangladesh and Conservation Initiatives (CI) in Northeast India, the program aims to safeguard gibbon habitats, strengthen local institutions, and link conservation with community well-being.
our work
Darwin Intiative Projects
The current program is funded by the UK government through two Darwin Initiative projects, forming a key foundation for this work:
The Darwin Capability & Capacity Project focuses on strengthening the institutional and technical capacity of CCA and CI to deliver long-term, strategic, and community-based conservation.
The Darwin Main Project on the other hand is a site-based project that revolves around biodiversity conservation and poverty alleviation in key Indigenous communities within the Sangu–Matamuhuri Key Biodiversity Area of the Chittagong Hill Tracts. It builds on CCA’s decade-long success in community-based tortoise conservation and now extends the approach to other threatened species including the Capped Langur, Phayre’s Leaf Monkey, Chinese Pangolin, Clouded Leopard, and Asiatic Black Bear.
Looking ahead, PRCF and its partners aim to develop a regional, transboundary conservation framework for the Western Hoolock Gibbon and its forest habitats, advancing our mission to empower local frontline organizations.
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Gibbon Conservation Action Plan
In Bangladesh, PRCF supported the development of the National Western Hoolock Gibbon Conservation Action Plan (2025–2035) and, together with CCA, is building a long-term conservation program for the species. Fewer than 1,000 individuals remain across fragmented forest blocks in the country’s north (Sylhet Division) and southeast (Chittagong Hill Tracts Division).
partnerships
Creative Conservation Alliance
The Creative Conservation Alliance (CCA) is a Bangladeshi non-profit organization dedicated to ecological and cultural preservation in Bangladesh’s last remaining wild landscapes within the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot. CCA places local communities at the center of conservation, empowering them as long-term stewards of their landscapes.
CCA has pioneered several nationally significant initiatives, including leading conservation action for the Western Hoolock Gibbon, operating Bangladesh’s first and only gibbon rehabilitation center, monitoring released pangolins, and engaging former tribal hunters in the conservation monitoring of reintroduced Asian giant tortoises.
Through partnerships, scientific research, sustainable resource management, and alternative livelihood support, CCA delivers conservation impact across the Chittagong Hill Tracts and Northeast Bangladesh.
To learn more about the work of CCA, you can visit their website here:
https://www.conservationalliance.org/
partnerships
Conservation Initiatives
Conservation Initiatives (CI) is a Northeast India based non-profit dedicated to science-based conservation of threatened wildlife and habitats, with a focus on the Western Hoolock Gibbon and the Asian Elephant. Active work is carried across priority gibbon landscapes in Meghalaya, Assam, and Nagaland.
Working closely with over 15 indigenous villages, CI is coproducing biodiversity knowledge while mentoring local conservation leaders.
PRCF’s collaboration with CI under the Darwin Capability and Capacity Project aims to strengthen local partners and enable community-based, transboundary gibbon conservation between India and Bangladesh.
To learn more about the work of CI, you can visit their website here:
https://www.conservationinitiatives.org
This program is made possible through the support of the UK Government’s Darwin
Initiative, under the following projects:
- Darwin Capability & Capacity Project (DARCC068): Strengthening NGOs for Community-Based Gibbon Conservation in India and Bangladesh
- Darwin Main Project (Darwin Main 32-018): Integrating Poverty Alleviation and Biodiversity Conservation in the Chittagong Hill Tracts