Linking ecodevelopment and biodiversity conservation at the Great Himalayan National Park, India: lessons learned

Abstract

There are very few actual field experiences of initiatives where fostering a harmonious relationship between conservation and development has been attempted. It is even rarer to find an example of a state-led initiative such as at Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). The present paper is an attempt to document efforts made at the Park to address the emerging relations between people and the Park. The success of an environmental conservation programme being implemented at GHNP hinges on addressing the imbalances in resource creation or distribution as well as in the allocation of accountability of all the players including the Park management, NGOs, researchers, Friends of GHNP, and community.