SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF RURAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE CENTRAL HIMALAYA - A CASE-STUDY FROM HAIGAD WATERSHED

Ecologically fragile landscapes of the Himalaya, particularly rainfed areas, hare been experiencing increased degradation of land and water, and loss of biodiversity. This study emphasizes the utility of micro- level planning on area-specific landuse for environmental management i n the most populated mountain belt (between 1000-2400 m asl), commonly referred as the 'problem zone' in the central Himalayan region. Asses sment of existing land-use practices, environmental problems, and eval uation of physical and cultural infrastructures were the foundation of the envisaged developmental model and action plan. Based an the prima ry information, and constant interaction between the scientists and fa rmers, an eca-friendly alternative model for sustainable and optimal u tilization of land has been developed and demonstrated. The people's p articipation was considered an essential tool for successful implement ation of the action plan, Consequently, subsequent actions and field w ork were carried out by villagers themselves with the encouragement an d guidance of experts. People's perception about the entire programme has been satisfactory as shown by the adoption of technology packages which have been demonstrated on their land. The basic ethos has been t he supplementation of the traditional knowledge base, not its replacem ent.