The Khangchendzonga Landscape

The Khangchendzonga Landscape, covering over 25,000 square kilometers in India, Bhutan, and Nepal, is a part of a global biodiversity hotspot. It supports life for over 7.25 million people and ranges in altitude from 40 meters above sea level in the plains of West Bengal to 8586 meters at the summit of Mount Khangchendzonga in Sikkim. Mean temperature varies from 2°C to 19°C in Darjeeling, 7°C to 27 °C in Gangtok and 11°C to 32°C in Jalpaiguri.

Snow, ice, and glaciers on 11 high mountain peaks feed mountain streams, lakes, and ponds across the landscape. The varied altitudes contribute to the diversity of flora and fauna. More than 5,500 species of plants and 1,500 species of animals are found in the Khangchendzonga landscape. Land types include needle leaved forest, broad-leaved forest, mixed forest, shrub land, grassland and agricultural land.

All of these beautiful natural features are weaved into a strong socio-economic and cultural fabric. With the aim of conserving this rich biodiversity, 16 protected areas are designated within the landscape.