ABSTRACTS FROM RESEARCH PAPERS ON

Dr. Purva,Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, GW 1 Ganga, Uttarakhand, Jawaharal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067

Prof. John McKim Malville, University of Colorado, USA, and Prof. Rana P. B Singh, Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, India.

48.Developing stakeholder based ecotourism in Uttaranchal, India -Rawat, R.B.S. and Sharma, Jagmohan

54.The Study of community dependence of Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sikkim Himalayas:-Dhakal,-R-D;Ghanashyam-Sharna;Kharga Basnet

55.Impact assessment on mammals in Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary of the Sikkim Himalayas-Adhikari,-P-P;Thapa,-T-B;Sharma,-G

56.An analysis of forest vegetation and land use change in the Khecheopalri Sacred Lake watershed in Sikkim.-Alka-Jain;Pal,Rai,S-C;Sharma,-E

57.Assessment of natural resources use pattern: a case study along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya,India.-Nakul-Chettri;Eklabya-Sharma

58.Firewood value assessment :a comparison on local preference and wood Constituent properties of species from trekking corridor,West Sikkim,India-

59.Floristic survey of the Kanchenjunga National Park area in Sikkim. -Chhetri,-D-R

60. Human dimensions of conservation in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve:the need for conflict prevention.

61.Traditional fermented foods and beverages of Darjeeling and Sikkim -a review.-Tamang,-J-P; Sarkar;-P-K; Hesseltine;-C-W

62. Cultural significance and diversities of ethnic foods of Northeast India. -Anamika-Singh;-R-K;Sureja,-A-K

63. Rhododendrons conservation in the Sikkim Himalaya. -Singh,-K-K; Kumar;-S; Rai;-L-K; Krishna;-A-P

64.Primula kingi Watt(Primulaceae),a threatened plant of Sikkim Himalaya-A.K Sahoo& A.A.Ansari

65. Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary,Sikkim-a remote sensing approach. -Maity,-D;Taha,-S-O;Maiti,-G-G

66. A relationship between bird communities and habitat:a study along a trekking corridor in the Sikkim Himalaya.-Nakul-Chettri; Deb,-D-C; Eklabya-Sharma; Jackson.-R

67. Bird community structure along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya: a conservation perspective -N. Chettri, E. Sharma and D. C. Deb

68. Folklores of Sacred Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India- A Plea for Conservation-Alka Jain,H.Birkumar Singh,S.C.Rai and E Sharma

69. Just started and now finished: tourism development in Arunachal Pradesh -Myra Shackley

70. Potential for cultural and eco-tourism in North East India: a community-based approach -P. Deb Burman, L. Cajee & D. D. Laloo

72. Manali Resort Development Process:- A Case in Tourism Urbanization -Shalini Singh

73. Public involvement in solid waste management in Himalayan trails in and around the Valley of Flowers, India -J. C. Kuniyal^*, A. P. Jain¹ and A. S. Shannigrahi

74. Protected areas conservation and wildlife tourism management for local community development in Garhwal Himalayas. -Prof SC Bagri

77. Community impact of the camel safari industry in Jaisalmar, Rajasthan -Myra Shackley

78. Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India .-Nagothu Udaya Sekhar

80. Strategic Development of Wetlands: An Eco-Tourism Perspective -Prafulla Chandra Mohapatra

81. Hill Wetlands of the Nilgiri Hills:Conservation of Unique ecosystem -Kunal Sharma,Samita Vasudevan and Pratim Roy

83.Tourism and Environmental Quality: Perspectives in the Indian Context -Gopal Sami Poyyamoli,

85. Tourism Management Issues in India’s National Parks: An Analysis of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park

86. Ecotourism potential of Ratnagiri coast with special reference to Bhatye estuary-S.A.Apate,S.N.Kumbhar,S.S.Terdalkar,A.S.Kulkarni

Paper Abstract: This paper reviews the current tourism development policies of the Government of India. However, it is argued that there are major conflicts between the policies and practices of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Environment & Forests. As a result, the ecotourism development strategies that have been attempted thus far have been extremely fragmented. The paper explores the resulting conflicts at a specific national park - Kanha in Madhya Pradesh. Firstly, it examines the conflicts between the protection of specific species such as the tiger and the promotion of tourism development. Secondly, it examines the conflicts that arise between the management of a national park and the local villagers that are often displaced. Thirdly, it examines the conflicts that exist between domestic and foreign tourists. It is argued that specific animal species such as tigers are an important part of both conservation and ecotourism strategies and that the latter need to become an integral part of park management and planning

Dr. Purva
Centre for the Study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, GW 1 Ganga, Uttarakhand, Jawaharal Nehru University, New Delhi 110 067, India; Email: purva@jnuniv.ernet.in; Fax: +91-11-6165886, 6198234

(ATTN. Dr. PURVA, CSRD/SSS)
Paper Abstract: In recent years, the trends in tourism in India have shown variation in terms of both economic and socio-cultural values. With changing lifestyles, economy and paid vacations, there has been a change in the attitude and perception of people toward travel and tourism. There has been an increase in environmental awareness and pressure of urbanization. Now, urban masses look for new get away locations, where they can get involved in active outdoor recreation. Thus, national parks and sanctuaries have emerged as the favorite destinations.
A decade ago the 500 national parks and other protected areas did not interest the holiday seekers. But, in recent times they have become "hot spots" for vacationers. As a result, the Government of India initiated the 'new ecotourism policy'. In order to generate more foreign revenue, the new policy deviates from its previous principle of 'for conservation only'. The policy, now, aims at increasing tourism by creating more services and facilities for the visitors to the protected areas. Thus, there has been a constant increase in the number of visitors during the 'season' particularly to the parks like Corbett, Ranthambore, Nagarhole, Kaziranga, etc., which have close proximity to metropolitan towns and are important for endangered species like the tiger or the one horn rhino. The visitors to these national parks are usually the youth in 18 to 30 years of age group. They are driven by the motivation to do something "adventurous".
This could involve any activity like tiger sighting, wildlife photography, camping. Many times urban visitor gets involved in prohibited and illegal activities. This leads to socio-cultural conflicts between the visitors and the local community and the other stakeholders, human-wildlife interface and other related problems. A new set of issues that have emerged out of such tourism in India is of displacement of local people. This has emerged as a major management issue in some of the parks, but has universal manifestation. Such problems and issues need to be addressed at the policy level.
This paper looks into some of such issues related to management. The present scenario of tourism in India calls for designing strategies for visitor's management such as intensive interpretation, environmental awareness programs and active involvement of local people for promoting responsible tourism. Various research techniques like, field survey & PRA, have been used. The data for the paper has been collected through questionnaire and field survey.

Paper Abstract: Many mountain communities around the world have promoted ecotourism to ameliorate problems of environmental degradation and under development. Although there is no agreement on what ecotourism is or should be, it is generally believed that ecotourism in the mountains will foster responsible tourist behavior, conservation of important wildlife habitats and ecosystems, appreciation of local cultures and traditional life styles, and

provision of sustainable forms of livelihood for people living in remote and communities.

This paper provides an overview of the trends in mountain ecotourism and suggests that any attempts towards mountain ecotourism should focus on sustainability; diversity; institutional reforms; gender equity; local, regional and global economic integration; local financial incentives; and peace and security. The paper concludes with the proposition for a framework for mountain ecotourism site designation

Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India,

Paper Abstract: In recent years, mountain regions are attracting great attention to Indian tourists in general and foreign tourists in particular. The potential mountain resources for promoting green tourism are enormous in the form of natural and cultural heritage such as biosphere reserves, flora and fauna, lakes and rivers and traditional rural resources. In order to utilize tourism industry market, uncontrolled numbers of tourists and related haphazard infrastructural facilities in the vulnerable mountain regions pose serious environmental implications. The ecological pressures are threatening land, water and wild life resources through direct and indirect environmental impacts together with generation of solid and liquid wastes, so green tourism is emerging as an important task in order to develop new relationship between communities, government agencies and private sectors. The strategy focuses on ecological understanding, environmental protection and ecodevelopment. The major attributes of the green tourism include environmental conservation and education and distribution of income to local people based on strong partnership. Various knowledge systems go a long way for achieving the goals of the green tourism, which creates awareness about the value of environmental resources. Mountains have ecological, recreational, educational and scientific values, which need to be utilized in sustainable way. Various tourist activities and facilities need to be diversified in order to achieve multiple benefits including scientific field excursion, recreation in natural and cultural areas, community festivals and sport tourisms. Green tourism considers tourism development as an integral part of a national and regional development. The paper discusses the social, economic and environmental dimensions of the green tourism with particular reference to village tourism development programme taking empirical evidences from the Himalaya. Such programme also minimizes biophysical and human vulnerability and risks in mountain regions. The environmental consciousness campaign and introduction of code through multi- purpose Tourist Resource Centres are gaining currency in above context.

Keyword: Mountain region; green tourism; development programme; Kullu Himalaya

Paper Abstract: This paper argues that effective communication with tourists is a useful tool in managing negative impacts of tourism, as it may change, shape and reinforce attitudes, perceptions, emotions and people's behaviour, and thus, can contribute to sustainable mountain tourism. Although the author acknowledges that tourists themselves are not the only ones responsible for the negative impacts on the fragile alpine habitat, she argues that increasing awareness, knowledge and mindfulness among tourists regarding the environment is necessary and essential, in order to achieve environmentally responsible behaviour. In order to achieve this, providing information alone might not be sufficient. Tourists need to have knowledge about both the impacts of various behaviour and appropriate alternatives. Also, they need to care about the visited place. In this paper, tourist behaviour is linked with the persuasive communication principles with a view to creation or reinforcement of tourist environmental sensibility, and decision-making for co-operative behavioural choices conducive to sustainable development. By integrating theories of sustainable tourism, persuasive communication, and promotion author offers guidelines for developing effective communication practices with alpine tourists through promotion materials. It is argued that such media, primarily aiming at attracting potential tourists, can at the same time contribute to environment protection by influencing behaviour of a wide range of mountain tourists that are not necessary all environmentally aware.

Keywords: sustainable tourism, mountain areas, environmentally responsible behaviour, persuasive communication, promotion

Paper Abstract: India is crowned by the long sweep of Himalayas, the highest mountains in the world. They stretch from 2500 km from north-west to south-east and between 150 - 400 km from north to south. Nestled in the heart of Himalayas is the state of Sikkim with its rich biological diversity and cultural heritage. The forests and meadows are some of the most biologically diverse in India and contain about 30 species of Rhododendrons and 400 species of Orchids and various other flowering plants. They also act as home to about 144 mammals, 300 birds and 400 or more butterfly species. Apart from these it provides house to different ethnic groups including 'Lepchas', 'Bhutias', 'Nepalis' as well as Tibetan refugees who seek shelter in this culturally and historically rich area. The various natural treasures of this state attracts many national and international tourists thus making tourism an important income generating activity for Sikkim people. Ecotourism with its focus on environmentally sound practice such as improving garbage management, tree plantation, checking anthropological activities such as mining, construction of dams and providing training to the local inhabitants offers a timely opportunity for Sikkim to improve livelihood to protect its unique culture. The various methods of environmental management and ecotourism of eastern Himalayas of Sikkim will be discussed in detail in this paper.

Keywords: Sikkim, Ecotourism, Environmental Management, Community Participation

Paper Abstract: Finding ways to assess and measure the impact of tourism and its associated development on sustainability is critical to developing long-term sustainability plans for regions such as the Indian Himalayas. Among the methods proposed is ecological footprint (EF) analysis or appropriated carrying capacity analysis. EF analysis estimates the area of productive land and water ecosystems required to produce the resources that a population consumes and to assimilate the wastes that the population produces in supporting itself. This study used EF analysis to quantify the sustainability of Manali, a rapidly growing tourist center in Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, India. It considered the changes in the size of Manali’s footprint since the advent of mass tourism in the early 1980s, the direct impact that tourists are having on the size of the footprint, and the challenges of applying this analysis in a developing world context. Data regarding land use, goods and services, and population were collected through local interviews and available data. The results indicate that between 1971 and 1995, the overall EF of Manali town grew from 2102 to 9665 ha, an increase of over 450%; the EF of Manali is now 25 times greater than its size. This indicates that Manali is increasingly relying on outside ecosystems for its sustenance. The article highlights areas of focus for future sustainability planning, including waste management, decreasing fossil fuel dependence, ecofriendly tourism, and creating greater environmental awareness, particularly among tourists.

Keywords: Sustainability; ecological footprint analysis; mountain development; mountain tourism; India.

Paper Abstract:Reports on a mission to north-east India undertaken in September 1996 with a view to developing a joint research programme on sustainability of land use in that area. Describes the mission, the travel involved and the nature of the agreement which was reached with members of the North-East Hill University, Mizoram Campus and with participants of Arunachal University. Identifies priority areas for future research as sustainable agriculture and use of forestry resources with the mission focus of attention being on Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh. States that the majority of the population in north-eastern Indian states consists of tribal people, many of whom still engage in shifting agriculture and are still very dependent on forest resources for their livelihood. Explains that, owing to rising populations and the desire for higher incomes, traditional practices in agriculture and forest use in this part of India are no longer sustainable, noting that the incomes of local people and their way of life are therefore threatened and there is urgent need for research to find new alternatives.

Affiliations: 1: Department of Economics, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Paper Abstract: The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), with a total area of 1784 sq km in core and 825.92 sq km in buffer zone is a representative of Eastern Himalayan region due to its unique habitats, exhilarating thick forests, rich flora & fauna, and famous mountain ranges including those of massive Khangchendzonga. Livestock are important source of local economy and more than one million rupee are generated from this sector from pack animals, milk and milk products and wool and wool products. A study on grazing impact on plant diversity and productivity was undertaken in KBR area to understand the vegetation composition, animal rearing pattern along the trekking corridor and its economic utility; analyze the impact of grazing on plant structure, species richness, diversity, and biomass, productivity and nutrient dynamics; and carrying capacity at selected locations at four different vegetation zones. Grazing though has an impact on plant species richness, biomass and productivity, the grazing levels is well within the carrying capacity of the grasslands barring a few places that are extensively grazed. However, there is an increasing trend of rearing more number of animals for meeting economic needs that will certainly add to the grazing pressure in near future. It is highly desirable that the villages and other nearby areas should be planted with more fodder species, and community should be motivated for raising good quality animals to reduce pressure on KBR. At the same time the villagers should also be involved in decision-making for developing the grazing regulation and other management plans for the KBR area.

Paper Abstract: Forest cover types, tree distribution pattern, species diversity, net woody biomass productivity, and firewood extraction rates were studied along a trekking corridor (Yuksam –Dzongri) in Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve, Sikkim, India. For the last 2 decades the area has been facing immense pressure on its natural resources because of an increase in the numbers of tourists and the lack of effective regulation by park authorities. To assess this situation the study sites were categorized as closed canopy (CC) forest and open canopy (OC) forest (disturbed) at upper forest (UF) and lower forest (LF) sites, on the basis of firewood extraction pressure from the community and tourism enterprises. The results showed significant variations in diversity, richness, structure, productivity, and regeneration among different canopy types. OC forest showed greater plant diversity than CC forest. Firewood extraction pressure was remarkably greater in the LF near the major settlement than in the UF. Local conservation initiatives and the interventions of an ecotourism project have had visible impacts on firewood use by the community and on tourism enterprises. Although alarming, the rate of woody biomass extraction was nonetheless lower than the annual productivity rate of the stands. Participatory management and compliance by tourism enterprises with a code of conduct on alternative fuel use along the trekking corridor would help promote the conservation and maintenance of biodiversity.

Keywords: Forest cover; species diversity; temperate forest; sub alpine forest; regeneration; productivity; firewood extraction; India.

The present international borders are political boundaries. Ecosystems existed long before the political boundaries. Political boundaries and landscapes do not limit species and communities of plants and animals. Hence, many countries in the Asian region share common biological and natural resources across their borders. The rationale for Transboundary protected area are very important and consists of maintaining ecology and improving its management, economic opportunity, bringing isolated people together and provide the basis for peace and collaboration reducing hostilities among people and nations. Nepal has long felt the need for conservation of Trans-border biological resources. Most of the PA'S in Nepal are either adjacent to the international border with China or India. For example, four contiguous protected areas around Mt. Everest – Qomolangma Nature Preserve (QNP) in Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), China and Sagarmatha (SNP), Makalu-Barun (MBLP), and Langtang National Parks (LNP) in Nepal - conserve a large, continuous ecosystem and rich cultural and natural heritages on both sides of the Himalayas. Similarly Kanchanjungha Conservation area (KCA) is situated along the Transboundary border between Nepal the TAR and Kanchanjungha Nature Reserve (KNP) in Sikkim State of India. The area jointly covers large tracts of the Himalayas to maintain species, communities, and ecological processes for the services of mankind. The isolated communities in these Transboundary parks and reserves are home to large number of people who share a common cultural heritage. However, due to remote mountainous landscape and high-altitude environments, these people are some of the poorest in the world. Reconciling the needs of these local communities while conserving ecosystems has become a major challenge in these PA'S. The Kanchanjungha Mountain Ecosystem contains one of the richest biological diversities in the Eastern Himalayas. Realizing the need to protect this unique ecosystem, bordering nations (viz. India and Nepal) have declared Kanchanjungha Nature reserve and KCA respectively as protected areas in the Kanchanjungha region.Poor socio-economic conditions and isolated geographic location have impoverished the local communities in the Kanchanjungha region. Unaware of the potential economic values of surrounding bio-diversity, the economic necessities have compelled the local communities to engage in illegal hunting and trade of valuable plants and animal species. The problems are exacerbated due to lack of a viable livelihood for the local people and surveillance from the concerned government authorities. In recent years, Transboundary conservation is receiving greater attention due to nations recognizing their environment security. Transboundary protected area is important in this region due to many areas of high biodiversity located along the border where illegal harvest is also acute in such areas. In the Himalayan region recent efforts have been initiated for the conservation of unique biodiversity. Transboundary Conservation efforts have been initiated in the region from 1992 and from 1994 and from 1995 continuous positive efforts have been made in this direction. The paper brings a brief background of the Transboundary region of Kanchanjungha and discusses in detail critical conservation and social issues in an outstanding part of the planet. There are many social, political and reality matters that are important for the establishment of TBPA in the region. The paper focuses on the main Transboundary issues and problems and potential solutions pertaining to each issue. It also makes some suggestions for future development of Kanchenjunga as Transboundary Protected area.

."O' Goddess! Wife of lord Vishnu, Living deep in the Ocean, the Mountains are your breasts

Paper Abstract: Tourism sector has developed as a major industry in recent times, and there has been an increasing trend to bring more and more new areas under this reach. Sikkim is a tiny state in the eastern Himalayan region and it has been a hot spot of tourism due to its magnificently diverse landscapes, high biodiversity and rich cultural heritage, which has also generated a good source of income and employment to youths and rural masses. The region has been identified as an important ecotourism destination. This work analyses the dynamics of tourism growth, economic and environmental benefits, and participatory conservation and protection of natural resources by different stakeholders in the Sikkim state of India based on the study done in the most popular tourist’s destination for trekking and nature tourism in Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve. The annual tourist’s influx in Sikkim state has increased by about ten times over a span of last 10 years. At present nearly 69% of total households income comes from tourism related activities, which increased the income and consumption pattern of the community. Interestingly the local stakeholders have increased their share to conserve the biodiversity through organizing themselves in Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee (KCC), and managing site enhancement activities. The study suggests that the area has an economic potential far greater than its realized earning potential, and that more effort is needed to increase the level of conservation contributions to fulfil the goal of ecotourism.

Paper Abstract: This study examined the image of Simla as perceived by tourists and residents. It revealed that there were two distinct images: one for tourists and another for residents. The tourists' image was based on the natural and cultural landscapes whereas residents' image was based on their familiarity with the city. There was some disagreement on the most popular landmarks and areas. Both tourists and residents were dissatisfied with the present development of Simla. The study concludes that there is an urgent need for landscape conservation though the development of new design guidelines.

Keywords: City Image, Urban Tourism, Urban Design, Tourism Planning and Development, Environmental Perception, Indian Cities.

Paper Abstract: The object of the paper is to provide an insight into the changes in livelihood strategies of the people in the Garhwal Himalayas over time. From sustaining an economy based on transit trade and subsistence agriculture, there has been a shift towards tourism in recent times. This shift has been due to the tradition of pilgrimage to the higher reaches and also due to promotion by the state by developing infrastructure and providing incentives.

The paper is divided into four parts. In the first part, the policies of the colonial state and the events leading to the destruction of forests and the impoverishment of the self-sustaining semi-pastoral economy in the Garhwal Himalayas are outlined. It is argued that the destruction of forests and subsequently, the economy of the Himalayas were directly responsible for the large-scale migration to the plains. This also led to further exploitation of forests by the people who were unfamiliar with any other form of livelihood. The paper also discusses the policies of the newly independent Indian state and sees them as an extension of the British policy of large-scale exploitation of Himalayan forests for the purpose of development and economic growth. In the third section, the growth of ecotourism as a direct outcome of the process of deforestation and as resulting

from the need of society to conserve and yet to earn a livelihood is discussed. The case study of the Gangotri region examines the dilemma faced by the people of Garhwal in sustaining their livelihood, income or the development in the area. In addition, tourism has fostered monopolies of groups external to the region thereby contributing neither to the income or the development in the area. In addition, there is an added threat to the environment–deforestation, and erosion–a direct outcome of increased and unplanned tourism. Such problems demand state intervention and management of tourism. The conclusion to the paper asserts that in order that the requirements of the society to progress and to sustain itself in its natural habitat are not compromised, it is essential to increase the process of democratization by strengthening local structures and by vesting the community with the autonomy to determine its future.

The paper therefore argues that ecotourism in the Himalayas undertaken without local involvement is not desirable. The constant need for local monitoring of external agencies or even of the State's participation and the need for re-evaluation of environmental standards are cumbersome details that add to the costs of promoting low-impact tourism. To be viable, ecotourism should be community based and the needs of the community, their ideas of conservation should be given prime importance and local community must be encouraged to review standards governing conservation. Local structures should thus receive patronage and promotion, so that ecotourism becomes a dynamic facet of economic development.

Keywords: Gangotri, Garhwal, Himalayas, ecotourism, Uttaranchal, participation.

Paper Abstract: The hill stations of Mahabaleshwar and Panchgani in the Western Ghats, India, have been a popular location since British soldiers visited to escape the heat of the lowland plains. In recent years, the growth of India's consumer class, combined with increasing access to private and public transport, has led to damaging new tourist developments. Problems include the clearance of natural vegetation for hotels and facilities, the cutting of trees for fuel wood, increased pressure on water and electricity resources, pollution from vehicles,overcrowding and litter. These are serious concerns, due to the fragility andecological importance of the forest and scrubland in the region. The character ofMahabaleshwar in particular has also changed, from a tranquil place for relaxingand appreciating nature to a busy commercialized resort.Local authorities and environmental groups have made efforts to control these problems, but these have so far proved ineffective. Few people want to limit the growth of tourism in the region; most local residents, business owners and government planners favour the continued growth of mass tourism. This

raises important questions about who should dictate the future pattern of tourismand whether environmental preservation is preferable to local economic growth,even when there are few alternative prospects.This study examines why previous measures to make tourism more environmentally sustainable have been unsuccessful. A management plan is suggested which divides the region into zones of different tourism activity, withan emphasis on establishing ecotourism. This proposal is a new approach tosolving the problems caused by tourism and, in theory, satisfies the conflictingaims of environmental preservation and economic development.

Jon Miceler, Director AP Programs, Inner Asian Conservation

Paper Abstract: Bordered on the west by Bhutan, to the north by China (Tibet) and to the east by Myanmar, the extreme northeast Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh remains today a world little changed by the global forces rapidly shaping other parts of Asia. The sheer inaccessibility of this land where 64% of the its geographic area is classified as mountainous, coupled with geopolitical tensions between India and China, has preserved arguably the most biodiverse, intact ecosystem left in Asia. This biodiversity is facilitated by:

• Convergence in the region of three major floral groups; the Indochinese/Indomalayan tropical lowland flora, the Sino-Himalayan/East Asiatic flora and the Western/Central Himalayan flora;
• Influence by two separate monsoonal systems; and
• Variation in elevation from 160 meters at the Assam border to over 7,000 meters on the mountain tops that form the states border with China.

Inner Asian Conservation (IAC) has chosen to focus its conservation and development initiatives at this tri-junction of political and ecological worlds. We are approaching conservation here with the understanding that conservation can best be sustained with concurrent rise in the economic welfare of human communities living in and around target areas.

Goals:
Creation of new protected areas in key areas adjacent to large and intact forests in China, Bhutan and Myanmar.

1. Eastern Arunachal Hayuliang Biosphere Reserve:
The creation of the 5,000 km2 Hayuliang Biosphere Reserve in eastern Arunachal’s will occur first. This PA is contiguous with other protected areas in both China and Myanmar and abuts two of the states already established reserves. When protected the Biosphere Reserve will create an entirely contiguous 2 million hectare transboundary conservation complex- the largest in Asia- effectively linking the Eastern Himalaya/Indo Burma regions.

2. Western Arunachal Alaya Corridor Biosphere Reserve:
The 2,700 km2 Alaya Corridor Biosphere Reserve runs parallel to the Bhutan border. This reserve is also contiguous with three protected areas in Bhutan.

3. Community Based Ecotourism:
Prior to the creation of these reserve, IAC has been involved in implementing community based ecotourism and other micro-enterprise initiatives which focus on local monitoring and enforcement of quality control measures to avoid pitfalls, such as elite capture and overbuilding, other areas of India: (Manali, Ladakh and Gangtok) continue to struggle with.

Due to Arunachal Pradesh’s scenic mountain splendor, ecotourism is a viable source of local income. At the village level, specifically near existing and potential protected areas, ecotourism in the form or trekking, wildlife tours, rafting, and mountaineering will provide part of the economic incentive to value and protect forests, rivers and wildlife as the platform upon which ecotourism and economic growth is based.

Paper Abstract: Tourism is increasingly becoming theme-specific in India and has attracted new interest from the government and private sector. India accounts for 0.37% of international tourist arrivals and 0.66% of the world tourism revenue. International arrivals numbered 2.54 million in 2001, while domestic travelers were estimated at 234 million. The Union Budget of 2002-03 announced the development of six new international tourism circuits in the country, including Guwahati-Kaziranga-Shillong-Tawang in the northeast.

During the past decade, tourist arrivals at Kaziranga National Park, home to the endangered one-horned rhinoceros have fluctuated due to political unrest, with the situation improving in recent years. In 2000-01, under a larger study of park-people relations at Kaziranga, a questionnaire based pilot survey was undertaken to develop a profile of the visitors, their wildlife interests and willingness to pay. The random sample comprised 10 respondents, domestic and foreign. Mean respondent age was 42.1 years (SE = 5.2, SD = 16.3), 27.6% of domestic visitors were < 18 years with no foreign visitors in that age class. Length of stay and willingness to pay for viewing wildlife differed significantly between foreign and domestic visitors. Foreign visitors stayed longer and were willing to spend more. An overwhelming 80% of all visitors derived maximum enjoyment from viewing rhinos compared to other species. Domestic visitors preferred to make monetary donations benefiting wildlife/livestock veterinary services, while foreigners were keen on local employment and Park protection. The survey identified key differences between domestic and foreign visitors and found potential for expanding community involvement in deriving benefits from nature-based tourism.

Contact
Department of Environmental Studies and
Southeast Environmental Research Center, Florida International University,
University Park, Miami, Florida 33199, USA
Fax: 305-348-6202,

Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland, U. K.

Phone: +44 1786 475469(Res.), +44 1786 466594, Fax+44 1786 472133, E-mail: mas2@stir.ac.uk

Paper Abstract: Nature based tourism is increasing throughout the world. Most is based in national parks and restricted areas. UNESCO has declared 28% of the world’s largest continuous mangrove forest, the Sundarbans, as a world heritage site in 1987. But having the world’s densest population, it is difficult to protect the flora and fauna unless there are economic benefits to the country as well as to the local people. This paper suggests that nature-oriented tourism can be one means to help achieve sustainability in the reserve forest as well as protecting the important world heritage site. Well-planned tourism could provide economic and political incentives for proper management and for conservation and could bring additional benefit to local communities and regional economies. The paper focuses on how to minimize the impact of tourist intervention in the reserve forest using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) as a tool, with Landsat TM remote sensing imagery and Information Technology (IT) as primary data sources.

From Case Studies on National Nature Reserves Sanjiang Plain, (Helionjiang Province) China, Longxi Honkou Nature Reserve

Paper Abstract: Though many Asian countries including China and India would like to develop eco-tourism activities in huge areas covered with natural wetlands they are faced with at least two major issues in many of such wetland areas. One issue is how to develop and manage the ‘know-how’ for eco-tourism without posing threat to the bio-diversity in the wetlands. The other issue is how to integrate eco-tourism with the biological and the sociological worlds. It is well known that natural wetlands are one of the most threatened eco-systems in both China and India. Hence the issue is finding out ways of preserving the basic functioning of eco-systems of wetlands in terms of water storage, climate control and bio-diversity preservation and at the same time utilizing such resource base for supporting eco-tourism-related activities. Such eco-tourism activities have implications for the local communities residing in and around such wetlands. This is in view of the fact that both in China and India wetlands constitute habitats not only for rare species of plants, animals and birds and breeding areas for migratory birds but also extend into man-made habitats ofsociological world. With human pressures all around wetlands preservation is also a question of providing sustainable livelihoods where eco-tourism is a good opportunity for community involvement for sourcing their livelihoods and a way for bio-diversity preservation.

The paper addresses the issue of eco-tourism based on local community participation in wetland management. The objective is how eco-tourism can be developed and managed in a manner whereby all threats to global bio-diversity are removed and also options for sustainable livelihoods are created. The present understanding amongst many wetland policy makers, managers and tour operators about the complexities of wetlands as a social problem embedded within the biological world is abysmally low.

It is not always easy to understand and appreciate eco-tourism as aptly described below.

"Ecotourism operators and "free independent travelers" each share a commitment to tread lightly on the land and culture, and support the local economy at their destination. Ecotourism is not defined by the distance traveled, but rather how it's accomplished and what is experienced."

The three basic challenges generally faced in this area relate to bio-diversity conservation, promotion of community development and management of eco-tourism as a viable alternative. Given the threatened eco systems of wetlands in Asia, eco-tourism needs to be managed in such a way that the integral values and functions of wetlands are maintained and enriched and also such activities yield reasonable pay offs at the local level.

The case studies are based on the methodology of PRA (Participatory Rural Appraisal), which is being used extensively for field research and community participation.

Drawing lessons from the four case studies from China and India, the paper shows the need to integrate wetlands functions, eco-tourism and sustainable livelihoods for which capacity building at the local and other levels is a critical factor. The types of capacity building would depend on the type of wetlands, their status and significance, their degradation factor, local community perspectives, existing skill existing practices, wetland policy framework and nature of eco-tourism-related activities.

With building of appropriate capacities at different levels, the three basic challenges of bio-diversity conservation, promotion of community development and running eco-tourism on a viable basis can be met to a reasonable extent. However, these are necessary conditions though not sufficient for there are policy issues at the national and global level, which also need to synchronized with efforts at the local level. Based on the four case studies selected lessons have been drawn for national and global policy-making and practice

Mr Ajit Pattnaik
Chilika Development Authority
C-5, BJB Nagar, Bhubaneswar-14, Orissa
Bhubaneswar, India
ajitpattnaik@hotmail.com
Phone: +91 674 43-4035
Fax: +91 674 43-4485

Paper Abstract: Chilika is a unique lagoon situated along the east coast of India and a Ramsar site. It is hotspots of biodiversity and shelters a number of endangered species listed in the IUCN red list of threatened species and an avian grandeur for more than one million migratory birds and is a designated Ramsar Site. The highly productive lagoon eco-system with its rich fishery resources sustains the livelihood of more than 0.2 million-fisher folk who live in and around the lagoon. The lagoon had been facing multidimensional ecological and anthropogenic pressure leading to siltation, choking of the seawater inlet channel, fall in salinity level, proliferation of invasive species, and decrease in fish yield, an overall loss of biodiversity and productivity adversely affecting the livelihood of the local community who depend on the lagoon. Due to above reason the lagoon was added to the list the Montreux Record in 1993. Following this, the Chilika Development Authority carried out the restoration of the lagoon based on the principles of wise use and ecosystem approach, with a major emphasis on the community participation with shared decision-making and capacity building. One of the major interventions was the desiltation of the channel connecting the lagoon to the sea and opening of a new mouth to restore the natural flows of water and salinity levels. This resulted notably, in the improvement of the lagoon ecosystem with a phenomenal increase in the lagoon’s fish yield and the reduction of freshwater invasive species. Other measures include management of the catchment in a participatory manner; protection of bird habitat and of bird species; economic incentives to the local population to stop poaching of birds; measures to improve the socio-economic conditions, such as training programmes to develop community based eco-tourism, provision of solar streetlight systems to island villages, development of a ferry service for isolated villages, construction of landing facilities for fisher folk, networking of the NGOs and CBOs, as well as education and environmental awareness activities. The increase in the productivity level in both the wetland as well as the watershed due to the good environmental practices facilitated the poverty alleviation of the community. This has facilitated the self-initiated participatory process for conservation and wise-use of the resources of the Chilika lagoon through adaptation of good practices and local ownership by the community which is important for sustainability. Chilika lagoon is a striking example of how restoration of the ecological characteristics of a site can result not only in improvement of the lagoon ecosystem but also immensely benefit the community depending on the wetland, whose average annual income increased by more than Rs. 50,000 per annum (US$ 1040 approx.) per family. The restoration of Chilika lagoon derives its uniqueness from the strong participation of local communities, linkage with various national and international institutions, and intensive monitoring and assessment systems. The case of Chilika lagoon is a perfect example of how the listing of a site on the Montreux Record can be used to promote measures to correct change in ecological character of a site, and to improve the socio-economic conditions of the population living in and around the site. The Ramsar Wetlands Award 2002 was conferred on CDA for the outstanding achievement in the restoration of the lagoon with the active involvement of the local community

Centre for East-West Cultural and Economic Studies, Bond University (Australia), Research Paper No. 11, February 2005,

Paper Abstract: Eco-tourism both at conceptual and empirical levels is significant in a number of respects. Traditionally it encapsulates scientific, aesthetic, and philosophical approaches which reflect the structure and function of the society. Over the decades numerous changes have been observed both in the content and context of eco-tourism. With globalisation the processes of these changes not only widened and multiplied, but also gained in importance. The present research paper in observing the treasure of tourism of the Orissa region in eastern India emphasises the potential of eco-tourism in the scheduled areas which are largely dominated by the tribal communities. It argues - and concludes by way of recommendations - that if eco-tourism is properly developed it can not only attract tourists from far and near, but can also generate more revenue for the inhabitants of the region and for the state.

Key words: Eco-Tourism, Tribal Communities, Ethno-Cultural groups, Scheduled Areas, Tribal Museum.

*Dr Nilakantha Panigrahi is from the Faculty in Anthropology, NKC Center for Development Studies (ICSSR supported Center), Bhubaneswar, Orissa, India, Email: nilakantha62@yahoo.co.in and ncdsvc@sancharnet.in

THAMPI, Josh, Ecotourism in Kerala, India: Lessons from the Eco-Development Project in Periyar Tiger Reserve, Nr.13, June 2005.

Paper Abstract: The purpose of this article is to describe and evaluate the ecotourism project at the Periyar Tiger Reserve (Thekkady), in Kerala, India. The Ministry of Environment has undertaken to promote local community participation in forest management, through the “India - Eco – Development” programme in seven states. In Kerala, the ‘Thekkady Tiger Trail’ project was launched a couple of years ago in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary.

In the Periyar Tiger Trail project, the members involved are the former inhabitants of the forest, who use to make a living by illegal trading of forest goods. Their activity was thus detrimental to the conservation of the forest. However, their intimate knowledge about the plants and animals, and their survival instincts could be best used for participatory ecotourism activities. Besides the Tiger Trail, other ecotourism products of the Periyar Tiger Reserve are: Bamboo Rafting, Day Trekking Programme, Tribal Heritage, Bamboo Grove, Jungle Inn and Wild adventures. A brief account of Ecotourism initiatives in the Periyar Tiger Reserve and a review of the project, based on the principles of Ecotourism are included in this article.

Visiting Faculty, Dept. of History of Art and Tourism Management (Faculty of Arts), Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP 221005. INDIA. E-mail: pravinrana@yahho.com

Paper Abstract: Pilgrims are the special tourists whose purpose is to visit the place where they become involved in the religious activities, that is how the group pilgrimage tourists. Differences in behavioural attributes like perception, attitudes and motives vary according the cultural background and personality. In a holy city of Banaras, majority of domestic tourists is pilgrimage tourists, whose behaviour depends upon the exposure, which they have before visiting the city. The first dominant impression of tourists about this city is the religious notion like one of the most sacred cities for Hindus, the abode of Shiva and ghats along with the Ganga river. The Ganga river in Varanasi is the main attraction for all the visitors, but perceptual levels and degrees vary. Domestic pilgrimage tourists visiting Varanasi mainly involve in rituals and religious festivities, while foreign tourists enjoy recreation.

Key words: Cognitive map, the Ganga river, image, international tourist, perception, pilgrimage tourist.

Paper Giver: Prof. Rana P. B. Singh, Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, India

Paper Abstract: It has been realised that the cultural and natural heritages are increasingly threatened by destruction not only due to the traditional causes of decay, but also by changing social and economic conditions. It is decided to adopt a general policy, which aims to give the heritage a function in the life of the community, and maintaining it in a sustainable way. India has recently become a member of the general council. From India 24 properties are enlisted, however Varanasi has not yet been proposed for inclusion. This paper attempts to critically examine the rationales for proposing Varanasi as a heritage city in the WH List. In this context the status of Varanasi on the scale of UNESCO-WH List, the implications of the present Master Plan, and governance strategies are described. It is suggested that the City (District) Administration: (1) Draft and ratify a Manifesto committing itself to the conservation and protection of the city, (2) All built heritage assets of the city must be documented through a survey, listing, mapping, architectural plans of individual buildings, (3) A specific conservation plan must be drafted as an integral part of the development plan of the city, (4) A Conservation Cell must be created within the local Development Authority, consisting of various experts and institutions, and (5) Specific by-laws must be formulated for the development and preservation of heritage sites and areas. A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the site as living organism.

Paper Abstract: The thorough study of the spatial insertion of a huge pilgrimage, well known all over South India as Sabarimala Yatra in Kerala, in which the male members of the Hindu community form the core of the participants, provides exiting research material. A geographical analysis of this gathering related to the cult of Ayyappa, an ambivalent deity typical of that area, sheds indeed some light on the nature of links entertained between the multifaceted phenomenon of religious travel (pilgrimage) and the reflexive notions of territoriality and territory. Beyond the relevance of studying pilgrimage as a geographical ritual and phenomena, I propose here to deconstruct the pilgrimage though the analysis of the main discourses, which preside over the management of environmental issues and the refashioning of both cultural and regional identity. This presentation aims at bringing fresh inputs regarding the debate around nature and culture as each of these ideologies tends to favour one of the components of this dialectic or deny all of them. Let’s remind that the Sabarimala temple, which is the final and central link of a long chain of ritual places to be crossed by pilgrims before reaching it, is located in the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR) in Kerala, thus reinforcing tensions between the Kerala Forest Department and the TDB because the latter is constantly breaking environmental laws such as the Forest Conservation Acts (among many others) by cutting trees and misappropriating lands. The hidden objective of the TDB is to may their hands on more and more lands to build a new temple town contributing then to the destruction not only of the geographical and ritual networks of pilgrimage at the regional scale but also of the religious spirit which presides over this temple.

Prof. John McKim Malville, University of Colorado, USA, and Prof. Rana P. B. Singh, Department of Geography, Banaras Hindu University, India

Paper Abstract. During 0600 mornings between November 1999 and May 2001 we made hourly counts of visitors to Asi Ghat, the southernmost ghat along the Ganga in Varanasi. More than 1.3 million pilgrims and bathers were recorded during this period. The numbers of such visitors peak sharply during festivals, as pilgrims clearly watch the lunar-solar calendar very closely to establish the correct dates. There is a remarkable connectivity from year to year for certain festivals. For example on the day of Shivaratri, when an average of 22,500 came to Asi Ghat, there was a difference of total numbers of only 7% between 1999 and 2000. On days when more than 300 people arrive per hour at Asi Ghat, the numbers of visitors follow a power law distribution, similar to that of many of the self-organised systems of the natural world. With a catchment basin that includes most if not all of the sub-continent of India, the pilgrimage system of Varanasi behaves at times as large living organism, with energy flows due to human movement and specific patterns of behaviour. During the greatest festivals when more than 2500 people arrive per hour, the self-organisation of the Varanasi pilgrimage system intensifies partially due to increased mutual interaction of pilgrims who arrive in informal groups of family and friends or various kinds of pilgrimage tours. On non-festival days, especially in the cool mornings of winter, there may be fewer than 300 people arriving per hour, and there is no evidence of such a self-organised system

Paper Abstract: It is recognized now that sewerage based sanitation is environmentally and financially unsustainable. The ineffectiveness of present sanitation systems in terms of water pollution and related health problems is becoming obvious. Alternative toilets could have a positive environmental impact by avoiding such problems and utilizing freshwater resources rationally. Yet, their penetration has been relatively successful only in impoverished rural and peri-urban habitations and urban slums. Their value is limited to their utility as a solution to problems of development in areas where sanitation is lacking. However, it is important that alternative toilets be seen as usable in all types of situations, including urban- middle and upper class habitations since these households, and not the poorer ones, are the major contributors of sewage pollution in surface waters. The major obstacles preventing such acceptance by the upper classes are cultural preconceptions and a lack of awareness of alternatives. A possible way to overcome these impediments may be to introduce dry toilets into holiday situations. Ecotourism may provide a gentle yet impressive introduction to non water based toilets and also serve as an incentive to manufacturers, resulting in more styles and designs, and hence more choices, and therefore more consumer interest, leading to a virtuous cycle of sanitation.

Keywords: Sanitation, ecosan, ecotourism, protected areas, demand driver

Paper Abstract: In present era of globalization and modernization there is growing concern of indigenous knowledge and the resource management especially in the case of CPR, indigenous people and associated development activities. On the name of developmental projects many irreversible negative impacts has been identified on the environment like species extinction, destruction of natural resources, loss of traditional knowledge of the indigenous tribal people etc. Particularly the Indigenous Peoples are becoming increasingly vulnerable to exploitation on the name of development activities, where traditional wisdom and knowledge and natural resources have been expropriated for business interests. These are serious concern for the survival of present world communities.

Recently Ecotourism has emerged as development tool, which aims to protect the natural environment and cultural diversity by attracting the ecotourist and generating the source of revenue for the local people without harming the nature. This has been supported by various

global processes These processes has agreed to resolve the crucial problems related to indigenous people, their ownership rights and conservation of natural resources by clearer understanding and recognition of the strong ethical and spiritual dimensions and survival spirit of Indigenous Peoples in the changing world where Ecotourism can prove supportive as it works at local scale and incorporates landscape and people-scape in particular. The success of ecotourism activities at an operational level depends upon an array of factors owing to its nature. Ecotourism can be the thin edge of a wedge, which opens the door to mass tourism and has every possible scope to be used by general tourism practitioners as brand name. This very concept could be misused to fulfill their economic motives. Scope of implementing certification concept is strong in the process of sustainable development of Ecotourism. Therefore, there is need to develop an applied tool to measure threshold of tourism impacts and change in socio-economic and environmental status of the site through Criteria and Indicator (C & I), under the framework of sustainability. The development of C&I is not an end in itself, it is a continuous process which encompasses the societies responsibility for sustainable livelihood generation through community based Ecotourism without environmental degradation and erosion of cultural values.

Implementing C & I in the field, in particular requires community participation in CPRs management to gain the understanding and support of the local people, so that they can respect and contribute to conservation of the natural resources to keep its environmental value intact.Under this purview, C & I has been developed with participation of the local people at village level by using PRA techniques and organizing field level workshops. The research finding has been used to test the ecotourism performance at two study areas in Sikkim, India. Under this study, various results have been achieved in social, economic and ecological dimensions. In one of the study area the environmental and cultural values are intact because the indigenous people have developed a sense of belongingness, environmental awareness and worked collectively to maintain nature. They have developed local level institutions, which keeps an eye on the process of ecotourism development and share their experiences to make others aware. While in the other site, the local community involvement is negligible and could be linked with globalization. The results shows that due to economic motive and less involvement of local community in the process of Ecotourism, the area is leading towards environmental degradation and erosion of cultural values and is further prone to serious threat of migration of the local community.

Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007, India,

ABSTRACT In recent years, mountain regions are attracting great attention to Indian tourists in general and foreign tourists in particular. The potential mountain resources for promoting green tourism are

enormous in the form of natural and cultural heritage such as biosphere reserves, flora and fauna, lakes and rivers and traditional rural resources. In order to utilize tourism industry market, uncontrolled numbers of tourists and related haphazard infrastructural facilities in the vulnerable mountain regions pose serious environmental implications. The ecological pressures are threatening land, water and wild life resources through direct and indirect environmental impacts together with generation of solid and liquid wastes, so green tourism is emerging as an important task in order to develop new relationship between communities, government agencies and private sectors. The strategy focuses on ecological understanding, environmental protection and ecodevelopment. The major attributes of the green tourism include environmental conservation and education and distribution of income to local people based on strong partnership. Various knowledge systems go a long way for achieving the goals of the green tourism, which creates awareness about the value of environmental resources.

Mountains have ecological, recreational, educational and scientific values, which need to be utilized in sustainable way. Various tourist activities and facilities need to be diversified in order to achieve multiple benefits including scientific field excursion, recreation in natural and cultural areas, community festivals and sport tourisms. Green tourism considers tourism development as an integral part of a national and regional development. The paper discusses the social, economic and environmental dimensions of the green tourism with particular reference to village tourism development programme taking empirical evidences from the Himalaya. Such programme also minimizes biophysical and human vulnerability and risks in mountain regions. The environmental consciousness campaign and introduction of code through multi- purpose Tourist Resource Centres are gaining currency in above context.

Keyword Mountain region; green tourism; development programme; Kullu Himalayas

ABSTRACT The unique assemblages of flora and fauna in the Himalayan region make it one of the most important biodiversity hotspots on the Indian subcontinent. Seventy-five protected areas (PA’s) encompassing 9.48% of the region have been created to conserve this biodiversity and the fragile Himalayan landscape. However, this has engendered conflicts between PA management and local communities that suffer from restrictions on access to biomass resources. When resource use in PA’s is prohibited, the implications of the conflict are more severe for local women, who bear the burden of day-to-day survival. Initiatives to empower women are hampered by women’s lack of education and skills and by low self esteem resulting from their marginalization by sociocultural taboos. Incentives are needed to promote meaningful participation by women in biodiversity conservation initiatives

Keywords Protected areas; management conflicts; women; participation; biodiversity conservation; Himalayas; India

TITLE The conceptual connections between Biosphere Reserves and sacred landscapes:
additional tools for coping with global change

AUTHOR P.S. Ramakrishnan,School of Environmental Sciences Jawaharlal Nehru University ,New Delhi 110067, India

ABSTRACT The concept of the 'sacred' as a mechanism for conserving biodiversity and natural resources is something which dates back to antiquity in the Asian tropics. This concept has also been a powerful tool for conserving biodiversity, effectively linking conservation with livelihood concerns of traditional societies (indigenous societies living closer to nature and natural resources) in many other parts of the world too, where traditional societies live. Whilst the concept of the 'sacred grove' - an ecosystem type being conserved for cultural or religious reasons is well known, social evolution seems to have occurred in two different directions. Societal evolutionary process leading to condensation resulted in the concept of the 'sacred species', that are culturally valued; and elaboration lead to the concept of the 'sacred landscape', often referred to also as the 'cultural landscape'. I argue that the concept of the 'sacred landscape' has embedded with in it the other two, namely the 'sacred groves' and the 'sacred species'. I further argue that the concept of the 'biosphere reserve' as an equally powerful tool in the modern context, represents 'an old wine in a new bottle', being in many ways a rediscovery of the 'sacred landscape'.
In the case of the sacred landscape, however, the culturally valued species embedded within the ecosystem types within the landscape are often keystone species in an ecological sense, thus contributing in a major way towards ecosystem/landscape integrity, both natural and human managed ecosystems, and indeed with manipulative potentials for landscape management. This therefore ensures community participation in landscape management, because the societies involved are able to identify themselves with a value system that they can relate to. Further, the fact that the sacred landscapes have a variety of traditional societies often integrated within them and the fact that through a whole set of both codified and not codified institutional arrangements that many societies make subtle distinctions between permissible 'small perturbations' versus tabooed 'large perturbations' for determining ecosystem integrity, are areas that are as yet under-explored. In other words, the variety of different ways in which many traditional societies have evolved a rich Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) base to cope up with uncertainties in their environment, has much to offer for coping with uncertainties in the context of 'global change', an issue which has become increasingly critical for future human survival. This paper aims to look at these interconnections between ecological and social processes, in the context of the parallelisms that exist between the traditional concept of the 'sacred landscape' and the modern concept of the 'biosphere reserve', on the basis of the author's experiences in the developing tropics; an understanding of these interconnections could provide powerful tools, for managing nature reserves with community involvement

TITLE Environmental and human impact on coastal and marine protected areas in India

AUTHOR Ramasamy Krishnamoorthy,Institute for Ocean Management Post Bag No: 5327, College of Engineering ANNA UNIVERSITY Madras (Chennai) 600025, India

ABSTRACT The Indian coastline is about 7500 kms in length and characterised by the occurrence of number of national parks and protected areas. The Gulf of Mannar Marine Biosphere Reserve is located in the Southeast coast of India. Based on the analysis of multidate remote sensing data, the degradation sites and hot spot areas have been identified. After the extensive ground truth work, the major driving forces for the degradation of resources have been classified. The study concludes that the technology tools like remote sensing and GIS are more suitable to map and monitor the resources in marine biosphere, national parks and protected areas with reasonable accuracy and also found to be cost-effective. This paper has been aimed to highlight the suitable sensor data and techniques to study such protected areas. The major causes i.e. environmental and human induced activities and its driving forces for degradation were analyzed in this study.

TITLE Tourism and Forest management in India: the role of the state in limiting Tourism development

AUTHOR Kevin Hannam ,School of Arts Design, Media and Culture University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK

ABSTRACT This paper considers the intersection of tourism and forest management in India. It is demonstrated that there are major conflicts between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and the Ministry of Environment and Forests at both discursive and material levels. The network of power relations between and within tourism and forestry as distinct parts of the state apparatus in India is, thus, conceptualized. It is argued that one ultimately needs to understand the role of the state in more analytical depth if one is to understand tourism development properly. The paper is based upon qualitative research at a variety of locations in India in 1998, 2001 and 2003. It is concluded that one part of the Indian state apparatus, in particular–the Indian Forest Service–ultimately has control over and limits tourism development strategies in rural areas, especially in Indian national parks.

Keywords Tourism Development, Forest Management, State Power, National Parks, India

ABSTRACTS The Hindu Kush–Himalayan Mountains extend 3500 km, cover 3.5 million km2, and include parts of 8 countries. They are home to many spectacular lakes and wetlands, a major source of water and regulators of water storage. Eighty-four peaks above 7300 m and innumerable others over 6000 m are interspersed with thousands of lakes and wetlands, some of which are rich in biodiversity and are home to rare species. Whereas the mountains have attracted attention, there is very little documentation on water bodies in the region. Some lakes are above 5000 m. Conservation of these fragile ecosystems is important, particularly in an era of international tourism, climate change, and mega projects in the region

Keywords Protected areas; water; high wetlands; ecosystem conservation; tourism; Ladakh; Hindu Kush-Himalaya, India.

ABSTRACT The state of Goa provides an unusual example of tourism development. While responding with a measure of fatalism to the invasion of hippy tourists in the 1960s, some of whom remain in Goa today, Goans are rather more divided in their responses to the influx of mass tourists, which began over a decade ago. The onset of tourism on a large scale has produced pressures on both society and the environment. Reactions to mass tourism have been varied, but include the more organized forms of stakeholder resistance that are common in India. Major issues that have emerged center on the community's reaction to disputes over the use of land and, in particular, the use and abuse of beaches. This article first focuses on the history of conflict between two groups of Goan stakeholders: the small-scale entrepreneurs who seek a living from tourism through the running of beach shacks, hawking, and rave party organization, and the large corporate interests who have seen tourism development in terms of beach-front hotels and casinos, who see the market as an unsophisticated extension of sunlust tourism by Europeans. The conflict between these two groups is then studied in the context of the responses of a third significant stakeholder group, the Goan authorities, both in the form of the state government and the Goan police. The role of protest movements is also considered. The issues of land use, planning, and community involvement in tourism development emerge from the analysis as significant in critiquing the way that tourism has evolved in recent years. In a broader view, the issue of conflicting views of Goan identity by Goans themselves becomes significant. The article concludes that the development of tourism in Goa has started down an inherently unsustainable route for reasons grounded in the broader context of changes in both global and Indian tourism. It is only very recently that planning by the authorities and producers of tourist products has begun to adopt a resource audit approach. The major concern for Goan tourism is whether these more recent responses are well founded and sufficiently timely.

Key words: Development; Emergent strategy; Goa; State; Intended strategy; Sustainability

Biodiversity Research Cell, Department of Zoology, Carmel College for Women, Nuvem, Goa 403 604; E-mail: carmel@goatelecom.com

SOURCE Vidya Prasarak Mandal's B.N. Bandodkar College of Science: Thane (India), pp. 310-316; 2002; (Proceedings of the National Seminar on Creeks, Estuaries and Mangroves - Pollution and Conservation, 28th to 30th November, 2002, Thane)

ABSTRACT The state of Goa located along the midwest coast of India, flanked between continuous range of rugged hills constituting the Western Ghats in the east and vast expanse of Arabian Sea on the west, is a traveler's delight. Until recently a popular destination for domestic and foreign conventional 'resort tourist', the state is now witnessing an upsurge in eco-tourism, which is a subset of wildlife or nature tourism. Being a coastal state, Goa enjoys a unique combination of nature's endowment, a significant component of which is the diversity of its coastal habitat characterized by a variety of landforms like beaches, estuaries, islands, lagoons etc. This entire range of coastal environment offers the most amazing array of biodiversity, an important natural resource for 'alternative tourism'. The Government of Goa is facilitating the diversification of tourism product from traditional 'leisure tourism' to 'green tourism'. This paper reviews the potential and prospects of marine eco-tourism in Goa with a special emphasis on mangrove ecosystem. An attempt has been made to present the SWOT analysis of the mangrove related eco-tourism enterprise such as backwater cruises, bird watching and crocodile safari of Cumbarjua canal. An attempt has also been made to verify the anecdotal proposition that eco-tourism is ecologically begin, by presenting a case study of mangroves swamps of Chorao, one of the largest Island at the mouth of river Mandovi and also the site of Goa's only protected Areas for birds, Dr. Salim Ali Bird Sanctuary. The issue of providing opportunities to understand cultural and natural history through eco-tourism is also highlighted by presenting a case study of "Mannge Thapnee" (crocodile worship), a unique folk religious response of some eco-tribes settled in this mangrove habitat. The paper is a balance sheet of costs and benefits of 'green consumerism' in the tourism sector

TITLE Do developmental initiatives influence local attitudes toward conservation? A case study from the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, India

AUTHOR Arjunan M, Holmes C, Puyravaud JP, Davidar P. Salim Ali School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Pondicherry University, Kalapet, Pondicherry 605 014, India. arjunan_m@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT We evaluated the conservation attitudes of the local villagers living adjacent to the Kalakad-Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve in southern India 6 years after implementation of a World Bank funded eco-development project. We assessed attitudes towards three facets of conservation: the tiger, an emblematic species signifying India's commitment to wildlife conservation; the forest, a principle source of fuel-wood and other products; and the Forest Department, which manages the forest. More specifically we predicted that (i) attitudes would be an effective predictor of resource use interest in the forest and (ii) benefits obtained from the EDP would create more favorable attitudes towards conservation and the protected area employees. Twelve villages located within 3 km from the reserve boundary were chosen and 2-3% of the households interviewed with regard to their attitudes towards these three facets of conservation, their household resource use patterns, wealth, sex, age and length of residency. We found significant associations between wealth, sex, age and both tiger and forest conservation. Providing benefits has not changed the underlying attitudes of the communities. The poorer sections of society, whether receiving benefits or not, tended to support tiger conservation because conserving wildlife did not affect their livelihood in any way, whereas both the rich and poor had misgivings about forest conservation due to dependency on forest products. We conclude that the eco-development project has not effectively addressed the most important of the local concerns

TITLE Periyar Tiger Reserve – building bridges with local communities for biodiversity conservation

SOURCE IUCN Parks(Protected areas Program), Issue: 11.2
Theme: Integrated Conservation and Development Projects

ABSTRACT Periyar Tiger Reserve in the Western Ghats of India is one of seven national parks receiving funding under the India Ecodevelopment Project. The project seeks to promote conservation by addressing the impact of local people on the protected areas and their wildlife and by mitigating the impact on the local people of protected areas and their limitations on resource use. This ecodevelopment strategy, addressing the dual agendas of conservation and poverty alleviation, is being applied with some success in Periyar, where park staff are working with local communities and user groups to strengthen park protection and reduce pressure on park resources. Through participation and development opportunities provided by the project, the park has improved relationships with local communities and succeeded in engaging local support and collaboration to deal with management issues such as poaching, overharvesting of firewood and thatch and management of annual pilgrimages. A key concern is to ensure the sustainability of these efforts and to encourage local government support for activities that support the park’s conservation objectives

TITLE Conservation of biodiversity of the coastal resources of Sundarbans, Northeast India: an integrated approach through environmental education

AUTHOR Sarkar SK, Bhattacharya AK. Department of Marine Science, University of Calcutta, 35 Ballygunge Circular Road, 700019, West Bengal, Kolkata, India. sarkar22@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT The Indian Sundarbans, a diversified coastal wetland on the southern fringe of the State of West Bengal, harbors a luxuriant biodiversity and acts as a potential refuge of living marine resources. Girdled with thick mangrove foliage, this estuarine delta system offers an excellent nursery ground for most of the brackishwater finfish and shellfish. Since supply of hatchery-produced tiger prawn seed (Penaeus monodon) is highly inadequate in West Bengal, the aquaculture farms of this region largely depend on the supply from natural resources. Being motivated by a regular cash income, the majority of coastal people from Sundarbans have adopted prawn seed collection as their profession almost throughout the year as an important source of earning. The users are neither trained nor guided at any stage from collection to marketing and are fully dependent on traditional methods. They first sort out the tiger prawn seeds (mainly the postlarval stage PL 20) accounting only 0.25-0.27% of the total catch and thereafter the major portion of the haul are thrown away on the beach flats or the tidal mudflats. This wasted by-catch contains the juveniles of economic and uneconomic varieties of finfish and shellfish along with a bulk of holoplankters and meroplankters (non-target species). This practice causes several ecological and occupational consequences, namely, (i) the huge destruction of the pelagic biota that can lead to severe stock depletion as well as hamper the energy transference through the marine ecosystem food webs; (ii) constant dragging of nets along the coast and tidal creeks paves the way for soil erosion, uprooting the mangrove seedlings and saltmarsh vegetation; (iii) the water quality is deteriorating in the catchment areas due to mud erosion and (iv) due to constant contact with the seawater, the collectors are affected with waterborne diseases, skin infections, reproductive tract disease in women and many other contagious diseases.This paper, in addition to identifying the challenge to environmental quality and resource abundance, emphasizes the need for grass-root public education so that local people come to understand, support and implement sustainable resource conservation and environmental protection activities now and in the future. As a follow-up course of action, the authors have initiated a general awareness program for developing consciousness among the coastal people regarding proper use of natural resources. Initiatives are taken for educating coastal people by holding workshops and seminars with the use of educational resource materials. Exclusive awareness camps and grass root level training for coastal people are also being proposed as a future course of action by means of exhibitions, audiovisuals etc. It is proposed that local government bodies come forward to mitigate this problem with scientific and rational approaches and to take proper actions towards conservation.

TITLE Mangrove forests in Sunderbans active delta – ecological disaster and remedies

AUTHOR Shivashish Bose ,50 Bishnupalli, P.O. Purba Putiary, Kolkata – 700093, India

ABSTRACT The coastal active delta of Sunderbans at the mouth of Bay of Bengal in India, having a complex geomorphologic and hydrological character with climatic hazards, has a vast area of mangrove forests with a variety of flora and diverse fauna in a unique ecosystem. The natural environment and coastal ecosystem of this Biosphere Reserve and World Heritage Site is under threat of physical disaster due to unscientific and excessive human interferences. Conservation and environmental management plan for safeguarding this unique coastal ecology and ecosystem is urgently required.

Keywords Coastal ecosystem; conservation; environmental management plan; mangrove; physical disaster; Sunderbans

ABSTRACT Tourism has the potential to bring about changes in mountain environments, which are fragile and vulnerable to irreversible damage. Present trends in tourism are oriented towards increasing tourist volume. As a result, it threatens the capacity of tourist attractions because of over-crowding, congestion, traffic snarls and environmental pollution. Aggressive tourism activities without proper planning, effective policy and institutional framework have created serious environmental problems. If a tourist destination becomes environmentally degraded, tourists themselves start shunning it. This study finds Shimla to be one such destination. The main objective of this article is to review the type of tourists arriving, seasonality in Shimla and, more specifically, to focus on environmental problems and suggest action plans in an eco friendly way. There is need for unified efforts in this direction and to make Shimla an all year round attraction for the visitors as well as Shimla itself. The town of Shimla, a summer capital of the Indian State of Himachal Pradesh during the British occupation, is the central focus of this study. The Shimla region extends 20 km. from the city limits of Shimla including Mashobra, Kufri, Naldehra,Jatogh etc.

TITLE Tourism Management Issues in India’sNational Parks: An Analysis of the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park

AUTHOR Kevin Hannam, University of Sunderland, School of Arts, Design, Media & Culture, Sunderland,UK

Based upon the author’s extensive qualitative research, the paper then discusses in general terms the tourism conflicts that have recently emerged in India’s national parks. It goes on to examine in detail the tourism management issues as they apply to a specific case study, namely the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park located in the state of Karnataka. It is concluded that the voices of indigenous communities needs to be recognised in the management of the park and in terms of tourism development efforts.

Keywords India, national parks, tourism management, indigenous communities, Nagarahole

TITLE Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India

AUTHOR Udaya Sekhar N.Rogaland Research, PO Box 8046, Stavanger N-4068, Norway. usn@rf.no

ABSTRACT Conservationists in the recent years view local peoples' support for protected areas management as an important element of biodiversity conservation. This is often linked to the direct benefits, which local communities get from the protected areas. These benefits could be in the form of biomass resources, park funds diverted to local villages by state agencies and revenue from wildlife tourism. There are a very few studies which have attempted to study the direct relationship between benefits from wildlife tourism and local support for conservation. In India, wildlife tourism is restricted, and mostly controlled by state and private agencies. Wildlife conservation policy does not view tourism in protected areas as a source of revenue for the local communities. The present study examines the local people's attitudes towards wildlife tourism and the impact of benefits from tourism on the local support for Sariska Tiger Reserve (STR), India. STR is a flagship for tourism where protected areas are increasingly being visited and where local support for wildlife tourism has not been studied adequately. Results indicate that two-thirds of the respondents were positive towards tourism and support for conservation. The respondents were aware that more tourism benefits are possible from a well-conserved protected area. There appears to be correlation between benefits obtained by local people from wildlife tourism and other sources, and support for protected area existence, suggesting that benefits impact people's attitudes towards conservation. Some of the main problems are the unequal distribution of tourism benefits, lack of locals' involvement in tourism and development. There is a need to clearly address these issues, so that protected areas may get the support of local people, which may lead to sustainable development.

TITLE Environmental Degradation at Pushkar Valley(India):Restrain Tourism or Promote Tourism?

SOURCE Department of Environmental Studies,Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer 305005 Raj,Faculty of Management Studies,Maharshi Dayanand Saraswati University, Ajmer 305005 url: http://publib.upol.cz/~obd/fulltext/biolog37/biolog37-12.pdf

ABSTRACT Pushkar valley in Rajasthan,India , is a center of religious activity. Thus it is the focus of tourist activity inthis part of the country. With little or no interest and intervention from state, tourists often tend tomishandle the resources. They consume resources at a much higher rate, leaving a lot of garbage behind.

The ecological degradation is clearly visible. There are many hue and cries over the socio-cultural transmogrification of local demohraphy. This paper attempts to raise certain issues that relate tourism in the valley to environmental concern here. It would be in place to introspect and analyze what is going wrong about environment at Pushkar and how to check it? Can limiting tourism in the valley help us in some way?

How do we fix our priorities? Authors suggest a number of ways to check the environmental degradation and strike harmony between tourism and ecology in studied area.

Key words: Ecological degradation, Pushkar Valley (India), socio-cultural pollution,tourism

TITLE Livestock grazing in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve of Sikkim Himalaya, India: Implications for management

AUTHOR Singh, H.Birkumar; Sundriyal, R.C. and Sharma, E. 2003. The Indian Forester, 129(5): 611-623. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, North East Unit, Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh; G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim Unit, P.O. Tadong, Gangtok, Sikkim. [BIOSPHERE RESERVE; BUFFER ZONE; FODDER; MANAGEMENT; SIKKIM HIMALAYA]

(An autonomous Institute of Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India),Kosi-Katarmal, Almora - 263 643, Uttaranchal, India

ABSTRACT The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve (KBR), with a total area of 1,784 km² in core zone and 825.92 km² in buffer zone, is a representative of Eastern Himalayan region due to its unique habitats, exhilarating thick forests, rich flora & fauna, and famous mountain ranges including those of massive Khangchendzonga, the third highest mountain peak in the world. Local communities, to meet their various needs, i.e. fuel, fodder, timber, wild edibles and medicinal plants, have traditionally been using the biosphere reserve. Animals for grazing visit the reserve area, and a large share of local economy is dependent on the animals and their products. This paper attempts to analyze livestock economy and grazing pattern and the carrying capacity of the biosphere reserve. The economy of the people at higher elevation was mainly/totally dependent on animals and their products. This dependence increases with increase in elevation. It was found that, barring a few areas which are extensively grazed, the present level of grazing is within grazing limits of the reserve. However, there is an increasing trend of rearing more number of animals for meeting economic needs, that will certainly augment the grazing pressure in near future. It is highly desirable that the villages and other nearby areas should be planted with more fodder species, and community should be motivated for raising good quality animals to reduce pressure on KBR. At the same time the villagers should also be involved in decision-making for developing the grazing regulation and other management plans for the KBR area.

TITLE Valuing Ecotourism In a Sacred Lake of the Sikkim Himalaya, India

SOURCE Maharana , S.C. Rai and E. Sharma
G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim Unit, PO Tadong, Sikkim – 737102, India

ABSTRACT Although monetary valuation of natural ecosystems is difficult, such valuation helps to draw attention to their importance, and highlight conservation needs, especially in developing countries. The recreational value of Khecheopalri, a lake situated in the West District of Sikkim State, India, which has recreational, biodiversity and sacredness values, was assessed. The demand curve function for recreation increased with decreases in travel cost and distance for Sikkimese visitors. The recreational value of the lake was similar to other protected sites in India; however, all these sites had very low values compared to sites elsewhere in the world. Willingness to pay for maintenance and preservation of the lake by all types of visitors ranged from US$ 0.88 for members of the local community to US$ 7.19 for international tourists. The lake showed high recreational/sacredness values that were attributed to conservation of the site for biodiversity and pilgrimage. A large number of lakes in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region, if properly managed and marketed for ecotourism, can bring economic development that can be linked with conservation.

Key Words biodiversity; consumer surplus; contingent valuation; tourism growth;travelcost;willingness-to-pay

SOURCE Current Science, 85(5): 602-606. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim Unit, P.O. Tadong, Gangtok 737102, India. [CONSERVATION; FIRE-WOOD; GERMINATION; SIKKIM HIMALAYA]

ABSTRACT Rhododendrons form a major plant group at upper temperate locations having a characteristic slow growth rate and sizable horticultural value. Asia is the homeland for rhododendrons and many species had been hunted out of the region during Bristish rule. About 98% of the Indian species are found in the Himalayan region, among which 72% are found in Sikkim. Due to human interference the natural populations of rhododendrons in the entire Himalaya are gradually diminishing. The major threats to rhododendrons are deforestation and unsustainable extraction for firewood and incense by local people. A set of rhododendrons which are classified as rare/endangered may be wiped out from the biota in the near future if proper conservation measures are not made. The present work incorporates biotechnological and conventional methods to counter the threat on survival of these plants. Studies on in vitro Rhododendron maddeni from the cotyledonary nodal segments, young leaves and stems, have yielded positive results. The goal of the work is to find out means of conservation through in vitro and ex situ mass propagation and restoration of rhododendron population in the wild.

AUTHOR Rawat, R.B.S. and Sharma, Jagmohan 2003.. The Indian Forester, 129(3): 321-331. Chief Executive Officer

SOURCE National Medicinal Plants Board, Department of ISM&H, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, New Delhi; Joint Director (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govenment of India, New Delhi. [CONSERVATION; ECO-TOURISM; HIGH ALTITUDE; LANDSCAPE; UTTARANCHAL]

ABSTRACT Ecotourism holds a great potential for conservation of fragile mountain ecology in the Himalayan State of Uttaranchal and can provide a fresh paradigm for development to the local communities. The scenic landscape, snow clad peaks and high altitude lakes, endemic flora and fauna, unique customs and practices, mythology and history and hospitable local communities, fetch Uttaranchal a hitherto untapped opportunity. Informed involvement of stakeholders is necessary to ensure wide-base sustainable ecotourism. Stakeholder participation can substantially augment the infrastructure for ecotourism, sharing the burden of the government. Creation of stakeholders, equipping them with the required skills, networking them, supporting the initiatives taken by them and emphasizing the conservation and development linkages, are important issues in developing stakeholder based ecotourism in Uttaranchal.

TITLE Promoting ecotourism in the buffer zone areas of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve: an option to resolve people-policy conflict

AUTHOR Maikhuri, R.K.; Rana, U.; Rao, K.S.; Nautiyal, S. and Saxena, K.G. 2000

SOURCE Int. J. Sustain. Dev. World Ecol., 7(4): 333-342. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Garhwal Unit, Srinagar; G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora; School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 110067, India. [BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION; EXPEDITION/MOUNTAINEERING; LOCAL ECONOMY; POLICY CONFLICT; SUSTAINABLE ECO-TOURISM

ABSTRACT The fascination for mountains, breathtaking natural beauty, rich cultural diversity, socio-economic traditions, history and lifestyles attract mountaineers, trekkers, naturalists ascetics, explorers and cultural tourists from all over the world to the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) and adjoining areas. Expedition/mountaineering and tourism, as a livelihood option for the people living in the buffer zone areas of NDBR, was important, next to animal husbandry and agriculture. Until 1960, Bhotiya people in the buffer zone of NDBR and adjoining areas had a good trade relationship with Tibet. Closure of Indo-Tibetan trade due to the Indo-China war of 1962, followed by imposition of conservation policies due to creation of Nanda Devi National Park in 1982 and Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve in 1988, caused all consumptive uses and expedition/mountaineering to be banned in the core zone, which has not only affected the local economy to a large extent but also created conflict between local people and reserve authorities. The ban on tourism is the most severe concern of the local people as it provided significant income. Of the three complementary functions of a biosphere reserve, viz. conservation, development and logistic support (research and education), the management is biased towards achieving conservation by legal protection which may not be sustainable in the long term. People have started raising a voice against the ban on expedition/tourism in the core zone but have not yet damaged the core zone area. This paper deals with the history of expeditions and the impact on the local economy, identification of model ecotrekking/expedition routes and potential sites, and designing appropriate strategies/action plans for sustainable ecotourism. This will not only help to resolve the local people-policy conflicts and improve the local economy but will also help to achieve the biodiversity conservation goal.

TITLE Transhumant Pastoralism in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, India: A Case Study in the Buffer Zone

AUTHOR Sunil Nautiyal, K. S. Rao, Rakesh K. Maikhuri, and Krishna Gopal Saxena

ABSTRACT In the past, transhumant pastoralists in the Indian Himalaya used resources available in various subsystems for their livelihoods. Recent sedentarization of a section of the transhumant pastoralist population resulted in competition with the existing sedentary population for resources in some areas. Resources such as grazing areas and forests are becoming less productive and can no longer cover growing demand (both human and livestock). In the Niti valley (Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve [NDBR] buffer zone), changes in government policies during the past 50 years have produced a landuse system that is not conducive to traditional transhumant pastoralism. The present article analyzes the impact of loss of grazing area on transhumant pastoralism, the current state of monetary return from livestock rearing, and the output–input ratio in terms of energy currencies in villages inhabited by transhumant pastoralist populations and villages now practicing sedentarized lifestyles. Although small ruminant-dominated animal husbandry is providing monetary benefits to local populations, the system is consuming more resources than it produces in terms of energy currencies. The prospects for transhumant pastoralism in the buffer zone villages of NDBR are discussed.

Keywords Biosphere Reserve; land-use change; mountain rural economy; transhumant pastoralism; Nanda Devi; Himalaya; India

TITLE On bringing people and park together through Ecotourism: the Nanda Devi National Park, India

SOURCE Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, Volume 9, Number 1, March 2004, pp. 43-55(13)

ABSTRACT While the need for linking park with people was heavily stressed both at the World Conservation Strategy (1980) and the World Congress of National Parks (1982), the conflict has remained unresolved, particularly in the developing nations. The hackneyed question, who is more important - monkey or man - is still argued. Admittedly, human beings are as much a part of nature as any other animal or plant species. Indeed, it is neither desirable nor feasible to alienate poor people, living in and around parks and protected areas. Modern methods of judicious park management now point more to Integrated Conservation Development Projects (ICDP) than resorting to a traditional "fences and fines" approach. ICDP ensures the conservation of biological diversity by reconciling the management of park with social and economic needs of the local people, who have limited access to resources and few alternative means of livelihood. Paradoxically, these people bear substantial costs - as a result of lost access - while receiving little in return. Nanda Devi National Park in Uttaranchal (India) presents an unsavory example of people and park relationship. It is India's highest park after Kangchendzongha (Sikkim). Characterized by high altitude ecology, the park (625 sq. km) is profoundly rich in biodiversity, mountain-lores and mythologies. Indigenous communities, particularly Bhotias, have enriched the landscape by their bizarre ways of life. After Tilman and Shipston's successful ascent (1936) of Nanda Devi peak (7817 m), an era of mountaineering and trekking ensued which resulted in degradation of fragile Himalayan environment. Poaching of musk deer and herb smuggling also raised alarm. Considering the dire conservation needs for preserving genetic resources and diversity of species, the area was notified as a National Park in 1982. Subsequently, the park was closed for ecological quarantine. Later it was declared a Biosphere Reserve (1988) and inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1992. Customary to Third World practices, the park emphasized a policing role excluding local people, displacing them arbitrarily with meager or little compensation for their losses of livelihood. Ban on tourism activities further added to their problem of life and living. The paper discusses the cleavage of park and people and argues that development of sound ecotourism can resolve this conflict and bring park and people together

Keywords parks and people; biosphere reserve; tourism and biodiversity; indigenous tourism; community participation;
integrated conservation development

TITLE Badrivan programme at Badrinath dham : An innovative model for restoration of degraded lands and biodiversity conservation

SOURCE Research for Mountain Development: 387-399. G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, U.P., India. [BIODIVERSITY; BROAD-LEAVED TREE; CONSERVATION; DEGRADED LANDS; SEEDLING]

ABSTRACT An innovative programme under the name of "Badrivan (ancient sacred forest of Badrinath) Restoration Programme" was launched at Badrinath, Chamoli Garhwal (U.P.) with effect from 1993. The methodology developed and tested and the demonstration model established at Garhwal Scouts Camp and Parmarthalok have successfully inspired the pilgrims and local people from all walks of life to restore the degraded lands in and around Badrinath dham, the major Hindu pilgrimage shrine in the Indian Central Himalaya. The successful tree planting by organizing Ritual Distribution of Tree Seedlings and Plantation Ceremonies (RDTSPCs) and Plant Distribution Ceremonies (PDCs) at Badrinath for revival of Badrivan also demonstrates what kind of cultural approaches for reforesting degraded lands can work, and as to how science and religion can work together for the benefit of the environment and conservation and preservation of the spiritual and cultural values. This R & D effort provides an inspiring model for reforestation of degraded lands and biodiversity conservation and needs replication not only in the Himalayas but also in the other parts of the world where sacred sites and pilgrimages are important and the environment has been severely threatened.

TITLE Identifying Ecotourism Potential for Proposed Hill Station "Lake Town", Pune, India

AUTHOR A. A. Kulkarni,K. K. Das, S. P Aggarwal, Hitendra Padalia
Indian Institute of Remote Sensing.4, Kalidas Rd., Dehradun, Uttaranchal, India

ABSTRACT India being a vast and diverse country has always something to offer to everyone. Its glorious traditions and rich cultural are linked with the development of tourism. India has vast natural resources ranging from snow-capped mountains, blooming valleys, sea resorts, rolling rivers, dense forest, priceless mountains, temples and other places of heritages to vast desert areas, which can be important destinations for tourists (domestic and foreign). In older times it was essentially “Pilgrimage embodying simplicity”, morality, ecological purity and self imposed discipline, but it didn’t any adverse effect on environment. However, ‘New Tourism’ on the other hand, is a sort of luxury due facilities available and expected in the form of fine roads and comfortable transport system, good hotel/lodging places, easy money for travel etc. This ‘New Tourism’ has caused great damage to the environment and heritage. Realizing this fact there is need of protecting fragile environment for the future generation as well as makes it more lucrative for the present generation. For this the concept of sustainability arises to harness the potential available tourist resources. Sustainable tourism is model form of economic development that is designed to improve the quality of life of the host community, provide a high quality of experience for the visitors and maintain the quality of environment on which both the host community and the visitor depend. Ecotourism is responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the welfares of the local people. According to ecotourism society “Ecotourism is tourism and recreation that is both nature based and sustainable”.

In India the concept of eco-tourism is new and in spite of such bounties of nature and varieties of religion, culture and ethnicity, India accounts for only 0.4 % of the global tourism market and similar insignificant fraction of the world tourism revenue (West Bengal Tourism Report, 1996) 2. There is a need to develop tourist destination that can be managed scientifically to attract large number of international as well as domestic tourists.Present study is an attempt to identify ecotourism potential sites for Lake City development programme using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in part of Western Ghats, Maharashtra. After identifying the potential sites, a demonstrative plan has been made for Ecotourism development based on locally available natural resources.

Study Area is in the Mose river catchment and Lake City project is created around the backwater of the Warasgaon dam. The entire catchment is being developed as a model Hill Station as Lake Town. The length and width of the area is 20 km and 5km respectively. The Total area of the catchment is 134.70 Sq.Km. One end of the strip is bordering the coastal area of Konkan. The project location is about 50 km from Pune city one the Pune Sinhagad-Panshet road in Maharashtra. The geocordianate of the area falls within 18°21'00" N to 18°25'48" North Latitude and 73°25'12" E to 73°37'12" East Longitute.The topography, soil, vegetation, drainage pattern, climate have played important role in shaping of the region. The fifty percent of the study area is dominated by forest of various kind i.e. Tropical Wet Evergreen, Tropical Semi- evergreen and Tropical Moist deciduous. Study area consists of 23 villages; significantly, the population is nearly three thousand. The people are poor and marginal farmers, depending heavily on traditional farming techniques and shifting cultivation by burning and clearing the forest. The area is very closed by two metro cities viz. Mumbai, Commercial Capital on India and Pune, second city of Maharashtra State.Presently this land is purchased by The Lake city Development Corporation, Pune and they are developing this site as Model Hill Station known as “Lake Town”. The work on the project already started in phase manner. To begin with 50,000 plants have been planted till pre-monsoon period as a part of ecological development. Three small dams are also under construction of tributaries to stop sediment deposit in Lake and water conservation for sustainable development of Lake Town. Satellite Remote Sensing data have been used to prepare Landuse/cover Map. NDVI Map has been generated for better discrimination of forest and other landuse classes. The forests are further subdivided into three distinct canopy density classes. The Shifting cultivation area which are an integral part of forests have been classified into current and abandoned shifting cultivation respectively. Because, these are the critical areas need to immediate attention for the ecological restoration. Land use/cover classes are very much useful for ecotourism potential assessment. There are in all nine and the weightages (Eagle, 1997)1 has been given in the GIS domain on the basis of the relative importance of Land Use/Cover classes from the point of view of ecotourism development. Soil map have been utilized prepared by Agricultural and Soil Survey Department Pune District. According to this map four types of soil found in this area, that has been sub grouped into three types of productivity level based on its texture, depth, and moisture holding capacity, erodivity level ete. The area of highly productive soil within forest has been considered for assessment and identification of potential ecotourism area by using the forest mask. The slope map has been used to identify ecotourism potential areas i.e. recreational zones, as higher slope are helps for the adventures sports like rock climbing, trekking and hiking, middle slopes gives the site seeing, green parks, botanical gardens and other nature parks and flat to gentle slope for residential and service centers. The back of water is proposed to be developed water sports development and wetlands for bird watching purposes.

These maps are taken as the parameters to evaluate the area of high ecologicalimportance.

The analysis has been done in Erdas Imagine 8.5 and ILWIS 3.1 softwares. Weighted approach was adopted to identify the areas having ecotourism potential. This has been done using raster layers assigning relative weightage in accordance to its influence/importance and expert opinion; the weighted layers are overlayed in ILWIS 3.1 to find out its potential of ecotourism. Simply by adding the weightages ecotourism potential map has been prepared where high weights corresponds to high potential. Finally a map showing three ecotourism potential classes viz. high, moderate and low was created for management planning purposes

TITLE The Study of community dependence of Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary in the Sikkim Himalayas:

ABSTRACT Community dependence and resource(firewood,fodder and NTFP’s) utilization by settlements adjoining to Maenam Wildlife Sanctuary(MWLS) in the Sikkim Himalaya,India,was studiede during 2001-2003.Total firewood collection was 8343 t/year,80% of which was used at the household and 20% in the Goth.Community used 1.4 times more firewood in winter than in rainy season.Fodder collection from the forest was higher(9508 t/year)than the farm(8333 t/year).Different NTFP’S extracted were used for local handicrafts,construction,and local medicine,for food and for exchange cash.The prestructured questionnaire survey reveals that there is a need to increase agricultural diversification,production systems,agricultural income ,off-farm income ,total household income and the sale of horticultural produce and establish forward and backward linkages of their farm produce.This will reduce the dependence of communities towards the forest and enhance opportunities for better livelihoods.The study emphasizes the need for a holistic approach to agroforestry development for improved economic return and sustainability of the communities together with participatory PA management.

TITLE Impact assessment on mammals in Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary of the Sikkim Himalayas.

ABSTRACT This paper assesses the impact of human activities on native mammals by analyzing community composition,species richness and abundances in disturbed and relatively undisturbed habitats of the Fambong Lho Wildlife Sanctuary(FWS)in Sikkim,India.Results showed that the tree species richness,density and basal area distribution were higher in undisturbed habitat.A total of 25 mammalian species belonging to 15 families were recorded.Of these,21 (84%) species were recorded in the undisturbed habitat and 10 species were recorded in the disturbed habitat.More than 70% of the recorded species were specific in habitat use.Of the 25 recorded species,60% were restricted to undisturbed habitat contrast with 16% in the disturbed forest habitat.Both the vegetation structure and mammal assemblage were diverse in the FWS.Of the recorded mammals,60% of the species were human disturbance sensitive and 40% were disturbance tolerant.

TITLE An analysis of forest vegetation and land use change in the Khecheopalri Sacred Lake watershed in Sikkim.

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted in a 12 km2 sacred Khecheopalri Lake Watershed in the Sikkim Himalaya,India,to analyse the anthroprogenically induced changes of land use/cover and forest structure/composition of a watershed that has an impact on lake longetivity. The Lake is known for its sanctity ,pristine condition,multi-ethnicity and also as famous tourist destinations of Sikkim.The influx of tourists is high with visible impact of disturbance on the Lake and its watershed.The antrhropogenic pressure has led to land use/cover change of the watershed in the past decade with increase of agricultural land at the expense of forests.The forested vegetation composition in the lake watershed forest has density of 248 trees/ha with sub-canopy species being dominated in the lower diameter class.The local people remove approximately 28% wood from annual biomass increment and the canopy species have reduced considerably because of fuelwood and timber collection resulting in invasion of some opportunistic species in the regeneration stage.The pressure of grazing was also high resulting in removal of 47% of annual primary production of floor phytomass during 1998.Therefore,the anthropogenic pressure on the watershed forest needs to be minimized for minimizing the soil erosion process and thus maintaining the health of the Lake.

TITLE Assessment of natural resources use pattern: a case study along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya,India.

ABSTRACT In the Himalayas,subsistence largely depends upon resources derived from natural forests due to the free and easy access to these and simplicity in their use.Sikkim(India)has 43% of its total geographical area under forest cover,of which 34% is under dense forests.The burgeoning human population and family fragmentations are exerting a tremendous pressure on the natural resources to meet the requirements of food,fuel,fodder,timber and other human needs.In recent years,tourism has increased in Sikkim,which has been one of the major factors behind the destruction of forests.Irrational use of natural resources has resulted in the lowering of forest quality and shortage of resources.As a result,people have started using less-valued species as firewood and fodder.This study examines the bioresourcesuse pattern by the community and tourism enterprises along a trekking corridor in the Sikkim Himalaya,with special reference to firewood,fodder and timber.

TITLE Firewood value assessment: a comparison on local preference and wood constituent properties of species from trekking corridor,West Sikkim,India.

ABSTRACT Local people’s preference scores for firewood species were studied thropugh pairwise ranking tools of Participatory Rural Appraisal technique from Yuksam-Dzongri trekking trail,Sikkim,India.A wide variety of plant species used as firewood was enlisted .These woody tree species with potential firewood use value were analysed for their Firewood Value Index(FVI)considering energy value ,density ,moisture content and ash content.The local people’s preference scores and the constituent properties were then compared with 17 widely used firewood species using Pearson correlation and multiple regressions.Quercus spp.and Rhododendron spp.were the most desirable firewood according to their high ranks in local preference scores as well as FVI compared to other species.Local people’s preference ranking energy and ash contents were vital constituents for determination of firewood quality.Local knowledge and scientific assessment closely matched to each other emphasizing that highly preferred species by the communities invariably showed better firewood value.However ,there were some disparities when people’s perception in relation to availability of species and convenience was considered.The local knowledge could be a good tool for species selection in forestry programme.

ABSTRACT The flora of the Kenchenjunga National Park (1829-8582 m alt) covering an area of 850 kmsuperscript 2 in N, and W, Sikkim was studies. In the lower zone (1829-2743 m alt.) Quercus and Castanopsis were dominant. In the middle zone (2743-3962 m alt.) mixed coniferous forest was found as well as 11 Rhododendrons species. Above 3962 m alt., vegetation was dominated by dwarf varieties of Rhododendron and Juniperus and 9 Primula spp. were also found. It was concluded that deforestation, mountaineering, cattle grazing and traditional medical practices along with the fragile nature of rock types in this area are a cause of concern.

TITLE Human dimensions of conservation in the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve:the need for conflict prevention.

ABSTRACT The Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve(KBR)in the Sikkim Himalaya(India),which was declared a biosphere reserve(BR) in 2000,offers an opportunity to investigate the implications and possibilities of future conflict prevention at the inception stage.It is suggested that it is important to consider the human dimensions of a BR from the outset and survey stakeholders’ attitudes about conservation in order to take into account the inherent traditional dependence of people on forest-based resources.Potential conflicts need to be addressed through well-thought out strategies and the integration of traditional conflict prevention mechanisms.Experience gained in the KBR may be useful in light of the widely reported conflicts in other BR’s and protected areas around the world.Careful and informed planning may help reduce the likelihood of conflicts arising in newly established BR’s.

TITLE Traditional fermented foods and beverages of Darjeeling and Sikkim – a review.

SOURCE Journal-of-the-Science-of-Food-and-Agriculture, 1988; 44 (4); 375-385

ABSTRACT The various ethnic groups of the Darjeeling district of West Bengal and Sikkim, India, eat a variety of fermented foods including Kinema (based on soya beans), gundruk (Brassica campestris leaves), sinki (radish, Raphanus sativus), mesu (bamboo shoots), churpi (milk), shel roti (rice preparation) and Jnards (beers). These have not previously been investigated, and their method of preparation and consumption are reported here, The flora of murcha, the starter culture of jnards, contains mainly Pediococcus, yeasts belonging to the genera Saccharomycopsis, Pichia and Saccharomyces and the moulds Rhizopus and Mucor.

TITLE Cultural significance and diversities of ethnic foods of Northeast India.

ABSTRACT The diversity and types of ethnic foods made of local soyabean,bamboo shoot,tree bean,lai patta(leafy mustard) and rai(Brassica juncea)that are consumed by tribal communities in 7 states in Northeast India(Arunachal Pradesh,Mizoram,Nagaland,Tripura,Sikkim,Meghalaya and Manipur)were investigated .The associated social and cultural factors were also explored .Data were collected from 140 tribal women through interviews and focus group discussions.The results showed that the tribal women from this region had a wide range of variability in the processing of the studied ethnic foods.In each state the method for processing of these foods was somewhat different based on culture,variability in materials used,climate and overall knowledge of the processing and preparation.These foods were nutritionally rich and culturally important in various festivals and ceremonies.The ethnic foods prepared and consumed by these women were influenced by many factors such as nutrition,health ,food security,culture,ethics,subsistence economy and ecological sustainability.It is suggested that a policy framework with clear directives on recognition of traditional foods and associated knowledge systems is urgently needed.

TITLE Primula kingii Watt(Primulaceae),a threatened plant of Sikkim Himalaya

ABSTRACT Sikkim,a part of Eastern Himalaya houses the diverse floristic elements of tropical ,subtropical, temperate and alpine vegetation in altitudinal range of 200-5000m.Primula L.(Primulaceae)with ca 500 species in Northern Hemisphere; ca 140 species in India; ca 60 species in Sikkim,is a unique small herb having cluster of leaves at base with a variety of coloured flowers borne on a leafless stem called scape growing at an altitudinal range of 3300-4200 m. During a botanical tour to Meimenchu lake catchment areas of Sherathang, Babamandir & Kupup in East Sikkim in the month of September, Primula kingii Watt was observed in few numbers in comparison to other common primulas (P.calderiana Balfour & Cooper, P glomerata Pax,etc)The colour of flower of Primula kingii being dark wine red is much attractive in nature and most probably is collected by the visitor to the locality for the ornamental purpose. A comparison of locality of present specimen with earlier collected herbarium specimens at BSHC reveals that Primula kingii in wild have been found growing in the specific localities of East Sikkim in comparison to the other regions of the state of same altitudinal range may further conclude about its restricted adaptation and natural habitat. The plant specimen collected from the field is processed, preserved and deposited at BSHC as a reference material.

ABSTRACT The Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary (BRS) was notified in 1998, by the Government of India to conserve the genetic diversity of Rhododendron species, situated within the Sikkim Himalayas. This study was conducted to map the geophysical consequences as well as the major floristic components of the BRS through remote sensing and GIS technology. A total of 11 maps and several tables have been used to analyse the forest types, forest density, soil types, altitude, slop aspect, etc, and characterize the sanctuary. This sanctuary is still with maximum coverage of broadleaved forests, but simultaneously soil erosion is moderate to high. BRS is a habitat to 30 % (10 out of 37 species) of Rhododendron species at present known to the Sikkim Himalaya. This study highlights the capability of remote sensing techniques for future planning, conservation and forest management

TITLE The relationship between bird communities and habitat:a study along a trekking corridor in the Sikkim Himalaya.

ABSTRACT To assess the impact of habitat disturbance on birds in the Yuksam-Dzongri trekking corridor in western Sikkim,India,the relationships between bird community attributes-including migratory groups and feeling guilds-and vegetation variables were examined .Birds were observed in 19 100-m-long transects,3 times per season per transect,for 2 seasons from 1997 to 1998 to 1999,in an area where forests are subject to various degrees of pressure from human disturbances.Closed canopy forests with relatively undisturbed habitat showed significant variation in habitat attributes,suggesting complexity of habitat structure.Bird species richness and diversity were significantly related to moderately disturbed habitats represented by Principal Component Analysis(PCA),were vegetation heterogeneity (vertical stratification and species composition)was greater.Analysis by migratory groups did not show an interpretable relationship with the habitats ,except for the seasonal movements of migratory groups when correlated with altitudinal gradient along the corridor.However,feeding guilds showed significant relationships when correlated with different habitat types.Guilds such as insectivores showed a significant positive relationship with relatively undisturbed habitat,whereas nectarivores and granivores were associated with disturbed habitat.Such relationships have the potential to help assess bird communities and their habitat preferences.Long-term monitoring at landscape level is necessary to understand the dynamics of habitat use patterns by bird communities in relation to spatial and temporal changes.

TITLE Bird community structure along a trekking corridor of Sikkim Himalaya: a conservation perspective

AUTHOR N. Chettri, E. Sharma and D. C. Deb
G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Sikkim Unit, PO Tadong, Sikkim, 737102 India,Department of Zoology, North Bengal University, Raja Rammohanpur, Darjeeling, India

ABSTRACT Bird community structure was studied in the Yuksam–Dzongri trekking corridor of the Sikkim Himalaya, India. Nineteen transects with a total of 266 samplings were made in the forests along the corridor during June 1997 to June 1999. Human utilised forest (open canopy forest) and relatively unutilised forest (closed canopy forest) were designated for the study at two ecological zones, i.e. lower forest (1780–2350 m a.s.l.) and upper forest (2350–3600 m) depending on the natural resources utilisation pattern by local community living in the area and for tourism purposes. There were visible changes in the open and closed canopy forests in diameters at breast height class distribution of trees leading to distinct variation in the habitat types. Among the 143 species of birds observed during the study, a handful of species were found as habitat specific and about 40% were common to all the four habitat types. Both bird species richness and diversity were higher at the open canopy conditions compared with closed canopy, but the differences were not statistically significant. On the other hand, both the indices showed strong and significant negative relationship with the elevation. These diversity indices were also significantly higher during the summer compared with the winter season. The open canopy conditions exhibited comparatively more species of birds that were perturbated by human settlements than those species found at the closed canopy (mostly forest interior) and vice versa. Though the study could not trace out the effect of patch size brought about by human caused disturbances, the Yuksam–Dzongri trekking corridor possesses diverse habitat types as well as bird species resulted from heterogeneous habitat conditions. It is therefore important to emphasise disturbance study for threshold level assessment so that generalists as well as forest interior species could be managed through conservation efforts.

Keywords: Forest types; Species richness and diversity; Habitat conditions; Seasonality

TITLE Folklores of Sacred Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India- A Plea for Conservation.

ABSTRACT Although locals regard all lakes in the Himalayan mountains as sacred, Khecheopalri Lake in the Sikkim Himalaya of India is considered the most sacred. There are many folklores associated with it—it is famous as a “wish fulłlling lake.” The pristine setting of the lake combined with its huge biodiversity attracts a large number of tourists, and it is also a pilgrimage site. However, the lake’s sacredness is limited to the water only and it faces immense anthropogenic and other biotic pressures in the watershed, such as those relating to the collection of firewood, the felling of trees for timber, fodder collection, free livestock grazing, and various agricultural practices. The impact of tourism, with consequent garbage management issues and impact on wildlife, adds another dimension to the lake’s fragile ecosystem. This has led to environmental and cultural changes of the area that all pose a threat to the ecosystem and its surrounding resources, thus raising questions over the lake’s longevity and economic viability.

Centre for Tourism and Visitor Management Nottingham Business School Nottingham Trent University Burton Street, Nottingham

ABSTRACT The remote north-east Indian province of Arunachal Pradesh was briefly opened to visitors from 1993–1995 as part of a general Indian policy promoting wider access to frontier areas. The writer visited Arunachal during 1994 to assess its fledgeling tourism industry, expressing great concern over potential sociocultural impact. During late 1995, despite pressure from tour operators anxious to expand ecotourism in Arunachal's Namdapha National Park and develop joint projects with the Kaziranga and Manas reserves in Assam, it has now become clear that the current Arunachali government feels that the disbenefits of developing tourism outweigh any economic advantages. Tourism to Arunachal is now being actively discouraged and the industry seems likely to atrophy. This short report charts the rise and fall of Arunachal Pradesh as a tourism destination.

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ABSTRACT Jharkhand is a newly born state of new millennia. It came into existence with several natural gifts and inherited several socio-economic-political problems. The root cause of these problems is hidden in rampant poverty, economic disparity and unemployment. The soil of plateau is not very fertile. The irrigational facilities are not available. The automation of machines has reduced the need of labour in several sectors. In such case tourism may be best solution which can provide good job

opportunity to all; literate and illiterate, Jharkhand is bestowed with good combination of natural and cultural tourist attractions. It needs a joint effort of government, private sector and local people to exploits the opportunities.

Key words: Tourist resources; Tribal tourism; Eco-tourism; Economic disparity.

AUTHOR Shalini Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Recreation & Leisure Studies

ABSTRACT Given that remote mountain resorts are constrained for economic opportunities, tourism becomes an expedient function capable of sustaining precious resources. However, tourism growths in the mountains possess the potency to trigger off

conflicting contemporaneous processes, primarily urbanization. The resort township of Manali, in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh is a typical example of tourism-induced urbanization. Such a process is not uncommon for many a Himalayan destinations, where urban sprawls threaten the viability of tourism. This paper documents the evolution of a resort from a tourist Mecca to an urban locus. This transformation, having occurred with little planning, has provoked serious problems associated with overgrowth, besides pushing the tourism function further into the periphery. It is contended that recent surges in resort development are questionable, given the purpose and nature of the proposal. The paper concludes with pertinent questions that beg attention.

TITLE Public involvement in solid waste management in Himalayan trails in and around the Valley of Flowers, India.

AUTHOR J. C. Kuniyal, A. P. Jainand A. S. Shannigrahi
G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Himachal Unit, Shamshi (Kullu)—175 126 (HP), India

ABSTRACT The Himalayas have always been tranquil, religious and enchanting for meditation, worship and recreation for saints, pilgrims and tourists respectively. But today there is no significant difference between metropolitan towns on the plains to tiny tourist/religious spots in the hills of the Himalayas owing to a high influx of more than 1.16 lakh visitors within a 4-month season in a year. The beautiful treks from Govind Ghat (1928 m) to Hemkund Sahib (4329 m) and the Valley of Flowers National Park have suffered from litter and foul smells due to unattended solid waste. In the first part of the study, the perceptions of participatory groups such as visitors, stall keepers, the host community, the Gurudwara management committee (GMC) and district administration (DA) regarding environmental assessment of solid waste management (SWM) have been taken into account. Since visitors and stall keepers are the major contributory participatory groups in generating and causing primarily solid waste problems, they were studied in detail. The local villagers as a host community by means of participatory interactions and meetings were assessed as an important participatory group along with assessments of their other problems. In addition, the GMC and DA have been assessed as regulatory participatory bodies at local and government levels for ongoing tourism activities and the resultant solid waste problem. Three hundred and fifty one visitors and 40% of the stall keepers were thoroughly interviewed. The second part of the study highlights the estimation of solid waste generation from the essential commodities supplying visitors at halting areas (e.g. Ghangariya) and Hemkund Sikh shrine. Solid waste generation from stalls was measured at >50% of the total waste. Chemical analyses were also conducted for suitable waste. Based on average results, some of the practical but small recovery packages of SWM options such as reuse and recycling were suggested to eliminate the problem completely from the religious–tourist sites in the Himalayas or from other similar mountain regions of the world.

Keywords: Public involvement; Perception; Waste generation; Solid waste management; Reuse; Himalayan trails; Valley of Flowers.

TITLE Protected areas conservation and wildlife tourism management for local community development in Garhwal Himalayas.

ABSTRACT Protected areas conservation and wildlife tourism management for visiting tourists is the emerging issue in the Himalayas. Efforts are under way from all stakeholders to make such protected areas sellable among visitors through active participation of local people. Garhwal Himalaya in India offers a large number of protected areas and the villagers living in the surrounding buffer zones are participating in the tourism activities since their openings. The demographic profile of visiting tourists, Incentives and Concessions to Tourism Entrepreneurs and Gov’t policy for tourism promotion are some of the target points that have been considered for the study in the present paper. In view of this the present research paper is designed to know the problems for tourism development in the region, management conflict with the villagers, emergence of wildlife tourism to infuse economic activities, and approximate financial assessment for developing wildlife tourism facilities. The methodology was based on primary survey conducted through structured questionnaires between March to July 2004. The data were cross-checked subsequently in beginning of next tourist’s season in May-June 2005. The universe of the data consists of locals, pilgrims, tourists, and day visitors. The age group of the respondents varies from 20- 60 years. The average size of sampled population was 50 and they were interviewed with the help of structured questionnaire. In-depth interviews and questionnaire surveys were conducted from the same number of service providers consists of hotel owners, taxi operators and adventure tour operators. Further enumeration method was adopted for physical interpretation of the existing facilities.

Keywords: Himalaya, Garhwal, tourist, park, sanctuary, local community, planning

ABSTRACT Who does tourism benefit when it reaches a small Third-World community that was, until then, mostly cut off from the world market? This article proposes elements for an answer by inquiring into the social effects of tourism on the emergence of enterprises in Ladakh, India. In this case, the article deduces touristic entrepreneurs profit from their activities and how they organize to protect their interests. The relevance of the formal/informal economic sectors approach is questioned, and some broadening of the analysis is proposed on grounds of cultural and political economy.

Keywords: tourism; Third World; social anthropology; economics of tourism; local politics; India.

email: jckuniyal@hotmail.com; email: jckuniyal@gbpiku.nic.in G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Himachal Unit, Mohal-Kullu (H.P.), Pin. 175 126, India

ABSTRACT Mountains of the world are the prime sources of glaciers and scenic beauty. However, for the last two decades biotic pressure due to expeditions, trekking, tourism and transhumance practices by the shepherds is continuously increasing in these areas. Practices like indiscriminate throwing of wastes, leaving behind self generated wastes and emission of poisonous gases from unattended wastes, cutting of trees like Rhododendron spp. (for fuelwood), introduction of hybrid sheep to replace indigenous ones, extraction of invaluable and endangered medicinal plants, reduction in wildlife because of illegal hunting and poaching (for meat, skin and medicine) adversely affect the expedition areas. The study conducted in one of the expeditions to the Pindari Valley of Indian Himalayas shows that 60.68% nonbiodegradable waste problem can be resolved by reuse (39.34%) and recycling (21.34%). But all the wastes need to be brought back by the visitors from expedition/trekking areas to the road heads for easy transportation to places where it can be re-used, recycled or new products discovered with innovative recovery initiatives. Also, public involvement in minimising the adverse eco-impacts is a must. Under such high biotic pressure, problem of solid waste, high melting rate of glaciers, a rational use of scarce local resources is urgently needed.

AUTHOR Myra Shackley
Centre for Tourism and Visitor Management, Nottingham Trent University, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU, UK

ABSTRACT The isolated desert city of Jaisalmar (Rajasthan, north-west India) now receives over 200 000 visitors per year, mainly as the result of the promotion of camel safaris to the Thar desert. Jaisalmar has a camel surplus because of mechanized farming, with animals redeployed into the safari business. Considerable profits are generated for camel owners and safari operators but these are directly returned to the local community either to finance a larger family or to buy more camels. This industry now controls the Jaisalmar economy but poor regulation threatens its sustainability with worrying implications for employment and environmental management.

TITLE Local people's attitudes towards conservation and wildlife tourism around Sariska Tiger Reserve, India .

AUTHOR Nagothu Udaya Sekhar
Rogaland Research, P.O. Box 8046, Stavanger N-4068, Norway
Revised 3 June 2003.

TITLE Management of lakes in India

AUTHOR(s) M. S. Reddy and N. V. V. Char *Correspondence. Email: nvv_char@yahoo.com

Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, New

Delhi, India

Correspondence Email:nvv_char@yahoo.com

ABSTRACT India is home to a wide range of water impoundments located in a diversity of climates, stretching from mountain conditions near the Himalayas in the north, to tropical conditions in the south. The impoundments include natural lakes, wetlands and coastal lagoons, as well as constructed reservoirs and tanks. This paper provides an overview of the lake management in India, focusing on wetlands, reservoirs and tanks. While there has never been a thorough survey of the lakes of India, it is possible to discuss the general conditions in which lake management is currently carried out in India. Overall, lakes all over the country are exhibiting varying degrees of environmental degradation caused by encroachments, eutrophication (from domestic and industrial effluents) and siltation. The high population density ensures that many water bodies are under severe and direct pressure from anthropogenic activities in their catchments. Actions to control and prevent these problems are addressed, with a focus on measures such as public interest litigation, the National Lake Conservation Plan, and the Special Purpose Vehicles. The role of national and international institutions is critiqued. Finally, the issues related to gaps in the knowledge base, delays in restoration, lack of coordination, ineffectiveness of legislation, and the general lack of an integrated approach to management are discussed, and possible solutions to these impediments are explored.

Keywords :India; Integrated Water Resources Management; lake management; reservoirs; tanks.

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TITLE Strategic Development of Wetlands: An Eco-

Tourism Perspective

AUTHOR(s) Prafulla Chandra Mohapatra
Mott MacDonald Group

SOURCE ICFAI Journal of Business Strategy,

Vol. V, No. 1, pp. 21-29, March 2008

ABSTRACT It has now become pertinent to have an ecological, long-term approach to tourism planning in conjunction with conservation of nature. This approach is taken by the Tourism Department, Government of Orissa, by spreading the eco-tourism drive. This paper narrows down the eco-tourism necessity to the development of wetlands and exemplifies with the initiatives taken by the state of Orissa. The current objective of the Government is to put Orissa on the World Tourism Map as a favored tourist destination. Based on extensive information about tourism from other parts of India, it has been found that newer destinations are attracting more tourists and newer areas of tourism such as backwater tourism, aqua tourism, ayurvedic tourism, adventure tourism and eco-tourism are emerging as the popular ones among the tourists. Planned development of tourist destination compounds integrated development, which holds the key to attract tourists by providing them their desired facilities in a desired way. The development of eco-tourism in the areas of Bhitarkanika and Chilika by the Tourism Department Government of Orissa, can be summarized with their objectives, i.e. to provide suitable means to control the future growth of the tourism destination in a coordinated manner. This can be done by addressing the necessary local civic aesthetics to the tourist destination, a market potential study, resource mobilization, eco and environ conservation, infrastructural needs, proper land use, a blueprint to ensure integrated development of the area, development strategy for implementation, a marketing strategy for the destination to provide a basis for project conception and to attract investment for the same, with the overall objective to facilitate sustainable eco-tourism. Orissa Tourism needs to develop a master plan for eco-tourism destinations Bhitarkanika and Chilika, to ensure tourism with environmental protection and ecological conservation for a sustainable eco-friendly development of these destinations. The master plan needs to incorporate development and improvements keeping in mind the conservation of the area through eco-tourism, where the destination's fragile ecology remains undisturbed. The traffic origin/destination study of destinations, tourism infrastructure and facilities that are naturally eco-amiable are also considered in this paper. This paper goes beyond this study to propose a concept plan to strategically develop tourism infrastructure at Bhitarkanika and Chilika on the theme of Wetlands, in line with Eco-Tourism.

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TITLE Hill Wetlands of the Nilgiri Hills

Conservation of Unique ecosystems

AUTHOR(s) Kunal Sharma,Samita Vasudevan and Pratim Roy

Additional Coordinator, Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri,

Nilgiris, Tamil Nadu, India

Natural resource Specialist, Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri,

Nilgiris ,Tamil Nadu, India

Director, Keystone Foundation, Kotagiri, Nilgiris Tamil

Nadu, India

ABSTRACT The Nilgiri Hills located in Southern India forms part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first declared biosphere reserve and source of several rivers and wetlands that provide sustenance to man and animal alike. Once widespread, these wetlands were rarely acknowledged for their contribution to local livelihoods and in maintaining the health of the landscape. However, the bonds of indigenous people and wetlands were very strong and at one time, realizing the positive effects of these small fragmented water sources, indigenous people strived to protect them. This paper documents efforts to understand the current status of wetlands in the Nilgiris. The study was undertaken with the objective of surveying and mapping of crucial wetland habitats, assessing the dependence of stakeholders on the wetlands and initiate steps to develop local wetland conservation and management plans. A questionnaire was designed to gather information on the physical, biological and management aspects of the wetlands. From the information generated, a set of criteria was developed; wetlands were then classified on that basis. Analyzed data indicated that these wetlands suffer from high socio-economic dependence and considerable ecological threat. These wetlands thus require immediate attention and implementation of viable management plans. Five wetlands representing different levels of ownerships, community groups and usage were selected in collaboration with multi-stakeholders and management plans made for the conservation of the wetlands. These plans were shared with government representatives for implementation in selected sites.

Keywords: Nilgiris, Survey, Management Plan, Biosphere Reserve, Hill Wetlands, India

TITLE Role of Eco-tourism in Redefining

Economic Development

AUTHOR(s)                Rimi Mutsuddi , Indranil Mutsuddi.
                                        Acharya Institute of Management & Sciences

SOURCE                    The ICFAI Journal of Environmental Economics,

Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 26-36,August 2007

ABSTRACT It has been almost 60 years since India became independent. The Indian government, planners and economists have been always looking at agriculture, industrial sectors and, of late, services sector as the drivers of economic development. Tourism, right now, is only a sub-sector of the services sector. India has neglected tourism and its potential as a major contributor to economic development. The so-called planning and efforts to develop tourism, and specifically eco-tourism, in the past six decades have been very substantial. This paper highlights the importance of eco-tourism, particularly in terms of investment from the government, private sectors and foreign institutions to effectively conserve and utilize the existing natural resources to attract domestic and foreign tourists, and generate positive economic impacts (direct, indirect and induced). This paper also provides a theoretical model to depict the inter-relationships between various factors such as conservation and utilization of natural resources for the development of eco-tourism, investment in this sector and generation of positive impacts, which in turn would effectively contribute for economic development. This would reflect in the Gross National Income (GNI) as well as in the Gross National Happiness (GNH) as the major indicators of development.

Reader, Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Pondicherry University

Babu P George, Lecturer, Tourism Studies, School of management, Pondicherry University

ABSTRACT Tourism and the environment are intricately and inseparably interlinked, with many positive relationships as well as several irreversible negative impacts. Destinations of higher environmental quality attract tourists and in that process are also transmuted, either positively or negatively. Drawing evidences largely from the Indian context, the present paper analyzes the root causes of tourism related degradation in environmental quality and suggests alternatives that synergizes tourism and environment. Two case studies are presented: one to show how tourism produces inferior environmental quality and the other to suggest a practical means to overcome the apparent contradiction between conservation and development. It is concluded that the paradigm of eco-cultural tourism and the praxis of community based ecotourism could provide useful global frameworks with reference to which locally informed quality-tourism initiatives could be formulated and customized.

Key words. Environmental quality; tourism impacts; eco-labelling; eco-cultural tourism.

AUTHOR(s) Dr. S.P. Bansal, Reader, Institute of Vocational Studies, Himachal University, Shimla

Dr. S.K. Garg, Reader, Department of economics, ICDEOL, H.P. University, Shimla

Dr. Prashant Kumar Gautam, Lecturer, Institute of Vocational Studies, Himachal University, Shimla

ABSTRACT The aim of this study is to find factors for successful eco-tourism development. Tourism is the world’s largest industry that promotes increased interaction of political and economic forces within a society. It may be regarded as consisting of tourists, a business, and an environment or community in which it operates thereby tourism phenomenon affects all these elements. This paper deals with the study of various stakeholders in tourism development. As suggested by various authors’, management people, locals, tourism trade people and NGO’s are main stakeholders in tourism. All the information presented in this paper, if not otherwise cited is based on observations and discussions with the personnel of the NGO’s, locals and the tourists. To strengthen the theoretical ideas, three case-destinations in Indian Himalayas, Himachal Pradesh, were selected. viz. Sangla Valley in district Kinnaur, Pongdam wetland in Kangra district and Ananda Project in Kullu District. The Sangla Valley is situated in Himachal Pradesh, an Indian state in northwest Himalayas. Foreign tourist started visiting this valley in 1995. Since then, the number of tourists has considerably increased. This has resulted in development of many accommodation units. It is obvious that the valley holds an enormous tourism potential for domestic as well as foreign tourist. Because of the growing popularity among tourists and the interest of inhabitants to use the tourist potential of this valley, the region will face a considerable boom in tourism in the next few years that may become a challenge for tourism development in a sustainable manner. A group of villagers decided to form a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) named

as “Sangla Valley Sustainable Development Society” mainly for the cause of sustainable tourism development in the valley. The second case study is a story of tradition, awareness, science, community participation, non governmental organizations, receptive administration and individual initiative combining to boost development, promote eco-tourism and conserve environment in a small village of Himalayas in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. Mr. Satinder Singh Guleria, who has set up the Institute for Environment Studies and the Science Awareness Trust, along with other dedicated people, who realized that action is better than just complaining, and all this in a place which most people, even in India, may not be able to identify on the map. Mr. Guleria’s area of work is in Sanauran village in Kangra district of HP, where the Pong Dam and the Ramsar Wetland expanse have received the attention of the organization. Third case study is of Ananda Project in Kullu Valley of Himachal Pradesh. The purpose of the project is to “help local communities regain their self-reliance and return to a sustainable way of life” and the main focus is to “introduce cultivation techniques at the community level in order to help the villagers generate a sustainable source of income and to conserve endangered species of medicinal plants being over harvested from the wild”.

AUTHOR Kevin Hannam
University of Sunderland, School of Arts, Design, Media & Culture, Sunderland, UK

ABSTRACT This paper analyses contemporary tourism management issues in India’s national parks. It begins by setting India’s national parks in the context of national parks globally, before examining the historical development of national parks in India itself. Based upon the author’s extensive qualitative research, the paper then discusses in general terms the tourism conflicts that have recently emerged in India’s national parks. It goes on to examine in detail the tourism management issues as they apply to a specific case study, namely the Rajiv Gandhi (Nagarahole) National Park located in the state of Karnataka. It is concluded that the voices of indigenous communities needs to be recognised in the management of the park and in terms of tourism development efforts

Keywords: India, national parks, tourism management, indigenous communities, Nagarahole

TITLE Ecotourism potential of Ratnagiri coast with special reference to Bhatye estuary

ABSTRACT The paradise of Maharashtra, Ratnagiri is known for its scenic beauty and land of sun and sand and off course traveler’s delight. Being a coastal district, Ratnagiri enjoys a unique combination of nature’s endowment, a significant component of which is the diversity of its coastal habitats characterized by a variety of landforms like beaches, estuaries and islands etc. The entire range of coastal and estuarine environment offers an important natural resource for “ecotourism”. The present paper reviews the potential and prospects of estuarine ecotourism in Ratnagiri with special emphasis on mangrove ecosystem. An attempt has been made here to present the overall analysis of the mangrove related ecotourism enterprise such as mangrove biodiversity, back water safaris, paragliding, bird watching and fishing etc. The implicit assumption in the ecotourism concept is that the local communities should be benefited. However, due to several social and legal hurdles the goals have not been achieved so far as in case of neighboring Goa State. The paper further throws light on mangrove flora and avian fauna. The paper is, thus, a balance sheet of “green consumerism” in the tourism sector.