R. B. S. Rawat , Jagmohan Sharma

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.

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Jagmohan Sharma , Madan Prasad Singh

Abstract

Forest-fringe communities usually depend on forest to meet their day-to-day sustenance and biomass needs. More than a third of notified forests in India are being managed under joint forest planning and management (JFPM) programme involving forest-fringe communities and state forest departments. These jointly managed forests have degraded due to over-use in the past. At present the focus of management in such jointly managed forests is on their rejuvenation and rationalized use. By implication, in the long term JFPM is carbon positive approach, and biodiversity conservation and livelihoods strengthening are its byproducts. REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation plus) envisions the same with added incentives from tradable carbon units that would improve the flow of revenue benefits for forest-fringe communities. Under the emerging REDD+ scenario, JFPM is likely to provide a ready foundation to initiate REDD+ that is likely to enhance the resilience of forests as well as communities in face of climate change. Forest management under REDD+ regime is not likely to be much different from that under JFPM at the ground level however its administration is expected to involve several anticipated issues and other completely new issues. The present study looks at the present forest management regime under JFPM to assess the opportunity for forest-fringe communities to participate in REDD+ programme.

Keywords

Communities, Deforestation, Forest Degradation, Joint Forest Management, REDD+

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