Folk Perception and Participation on Conservation Measures in Garhwal Himalaya (India).

Central Himalayan Badrinath is an important hub of Hindu pilgrimage since medieval time, and also one of the traditional summer camps of the trans-human Bhotiya tribe inhabiting the region. During the last few decades, some significant climatic changes have occurred in this region. Ecological threat to this high sensitive alpine region has turned to be alarming for two reasons, First, the steady growth of Hindu pilgrimage as well as local settlers ever since 1960's following the opening up of motar-able road, and second, more generally, the global climatic change (e.g. global warming) certainly have affected the ecology of high altitude Himalayan Badrinath. In response to the changing ecology of Badrinath, the local people found to have culturally retorted well by way of devising conservation strategies and sustainable uses of their ever depleting resources. This study, while giving first hand local information from a high altitude Himalayan settlement of Badrinath, once again reiterates the importance of local knowledge and local participation in developing efficient conservation measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]