Yaya Tso Lake

Facts for Prelims

Yaya Tso Lake

News: Recently, Yaya Tso Lake was declared Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act.

Background:
 The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with the SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved the issue and declared Yaya Tso Lake a biodiversity heritage site.
 SECURE Himalaya Project is funded by the Global Environment Facility. It supports the government’s efforts for the conservation of snow leopard and its habitat by developing and implementing a landscapebased approach for Himalayan ecosystems, and addresses key issues of habitat degradation, threatened livelihoods and illegal trade in wildlife.

About Yaya Tso Lake:
 Lake Yaya Tso is known as a bird's paradise for its beautiful lake located at an altitude of 4,820 metres in Ladakh. It is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as the bar-headed goose, blacknecked crane and brahminy duck
 It is also one of the highest breeding sites of the black-necked crane in India