Himalayan Environment Issues And Concerns Of Conservation And Development

Contributed articles; includes articles on mountain tourism in Northeastern states of India situated in Himalayan region of India.

`This is an important book that deserves to be read by everyone concerned with presenting major environmental issues.' Geography ` ... an essential text for policy makers and aid professionals, as well as for students of environmental studies and international development ... It is indeed, a book appropriate to the urgent and critical issues which it addresses.' - Journal of Environmental Management

The Himalaya needs no introduction. For obvious reasons it has remained a source of fascination and inspiration for people from all walks of life. Almost all the natural resources of the Himalaya have presented a challenge for environmental scientists and planners alike. It is principally because of their numbers, an extensive array of natural characteristics and the complexity of the cultural pattern of the mountains that the Himalayan environment has lured the intelligensia of the world. However, hostile natural environment together with illconceived human activities have added fury to the fire. It is not an exaggeration, therefore, that the environment of our fragile mountain ecosystem in utter disrepair and indeed in very poor state of health. The renewed enthusiasm for man and biosphere and sustainable development had stemmed in no small measure from the tremendous interest in ecology juxtaposed to man s growing awareness of the degraded Himalaya. As the issues and challenges involved in describing mutual conditioning of the environmental cycles and human association in the Himalaya, quantitative and qualitative surveys for whole stretch of the Central Himalaya in question have not been attempted thus far. We have all good reasons to believe that environmental consciousness is extremely necessary in order to restore the balance in ecological components of the Himalaya. Contents Chapter 1: Uttarkashi Earthquake of October 20,1991 in Garhwal Himalaya: A Warning by K S Valdiya; Chapter 2: A Geomorphological Appraisal of Landslides in Garhwal and Kumaun Himalaya (U P) by M S Anatharaman and R K Sehgal; Chapter 3: Anthropogenic and Technogenic Landforms and their Effect on Human Life in a Lesser Himalayan Drainage Basin by Jyoti Joshi; Chapter 4: Pteridology in Kumaun Himalaya: Existing State of Art by P C Pande & H C Pande; Chapter 5: Organic Productivity and Nutrient Content of Poplar Plantation in Tarai Belt of Kumaun Himalaya by L S Lodhiyal & R P Singh; Chapter 6: Glimpses of History of Agriculture in Uttrakhand in the Central Himalaya by B P Joshi; Chapter 7: Irrigation Development and Agriculture in Garhwal Himalayas by K N Joshi; Chapter 8: Dynamic Dimensions of Fruit Crops Ecofarming in an Hill Environment by D C Pande & J C Kuniyal; Chapter 9: New Farm Technology and Hill Peasantry in India by D C Pande; Chapter 10: Status, Utilization and Potentials of Water Resources in Kumaun Lesser Himalaya by P C Tewari & Bhagwati Joshi; Chapter 11: Status of Forest Resources and Sustainability of Rural Eco-system in Gomti Basin, Kumaun Lesser Himalaya by B S Bisht & P C Tewari; Chapter 12: Ethonobiology of Kumaun Himalaya by P C Pande, Pramila Joshi & G C Joshi; Chapter 13: Pediatiric Ethnobotany of Kumaun Himalaya by Vineeta Pande & Neeta Pande; Chapter 14: Folklore Insecticidal Plants of Eastern Kumaun (Western Himalaya) by I S Mehta, P C Pande & Pramila Joshi; Chapter 15: Water Resources, their Depletion and Conservation in the Dehra Dun Valley by M S Anantharaman & R K Sehgal; Chapter 16: Water Quality Problems in the Urban Areas of Kumaun Himalaya by R K Pande & N S Bhandari; Chapter 17: Demographic Profile of Uttrakhand by Rajnish Pande, P C Pande & R K Pande; Chapter 18: U P F C and Industrial Development of Garhwal Region (Appraisal and Suggestion) by R C Dangwal, A K Sarkar and K S Negi; Chapter 19: Some Aspects of Growth and Management of the Human Resources in the U P Himalaya by Raj Laxmi Singh & O P Singh; Chapter 20: Women, Fuel and Forest: The Experience of Central Himalaya by A K Singh & R K Pande; Chapter 21: Environmental Study of Farm Fringe: The Experience of U P Himalaya by Devi Datt; Chapter 22: Agro-ecosystem Approach for Sustainable Production in Himalaya by B P Ghildyal; Chapter 23: Environment and Development with Special Reference to Forest by H C Upadhyay; Chapter 24: Changing Perception of Wildlife Tourism and its Impact on Carrying Capacity in the Corbett Tiger Reserve by Bhagwati Joshi; Chapter 25: Integrated Area Development in Himalaya: A Conceptual Approach by R K Pande, P C Pande & G B Pant; Chapter 26: Ecophysiological Models for Amelioration of the Cold Desert in Himachal Pradesh- Spiti by R Bawa & R N Sehgal; Chapter 27: Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) by Y C Pande & R K Pande; Chapter 28: Environment and Economic Development- A Reconciliation by A R Padoshi.

The book focuses on environment and conservation issues pertaining to the Himalayas, spanning Pakistan, Nepal, India, Bhutan and Myanmar. Environmental degradation, changes in snow cover and glaciers in India-Bhutan, threats to protected areas, and biodiversity in this ecologically fragile region are assessed in twelve distinct, regional case studies.

Of All The Mountain Systems Of The World The Himalayan Are The Longest And Highest Range Of Mountains Which Harbours A Potentially Rich And Varied Diversity Of The Spectrum Of Fauna And Flora.Today It Is Quite Dismaying To Note That The Pristine Glory And Health Aura Of The Himalayas Have Been Greatly Damaged By Man Who Has Lavishly Over-Exploited All Natural Resources Just For His Greed And Luxury Without Realizing Its Consequences.The Present Book Has Been Produced With The Objective Of Creating Environmental Awareness Among The Masses, And Also Points Out Various Eco-Threats To The Himalayan Environment. The Book Also Suggests The Remedial Measures To Save The Vanishing Himalayan Mountains And The Remarkable Potentials Of Their Natural Resources.It Is, Hoped, That The Present Book Which Is A Compilation Of Many Classical Contributions Of Various Experts Would Be Of Immense Interest For The Himalayan Environmentalists, Climatologists, Mountain Ecologists, Hill Development Experts, Highlanders, Scholars, Scientists, Natural Resource Specialists, Designers, Planners And All Other Interested In The Himalayan Ecosystems And Their Conservation.

The Himalayas are said to be the youngest mountain ranges in the world. This book studies the well-being of the eastern Himalayan forest-dwellers in terms of their capabilities and functioning. Using Amartya Sen’s and Martha Nussbaum’s Capabilities Approach, it examines the educational and health opportunities and substantial freedoms afforded to farmers and pastoralists living and working in the Senchal and Singalila Protected Areas of North Bengal, India. It also discusses the challenges and potential of the Forest Rights Act as a well-being delivery mechanism. The book adopts a comparative narrative of socio-ecological information generated from interviews, ecological field methods, remote sensing and participatory rural appraisals to provide insight on human development in conservation contexts. This volume will be of interest to students and researchers of conservation biology, development studies, socio-ecological systems studies, political ecology, human development index, ecological economics, environmental sociology, and South Asian studies. It will also be useful to policy-makers and NGOs in the conservation and livelihoods sector.

Contributed research papers.