TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND THREAT OF ITS EXTINCTION IN CHHAKINAL WATERSHED IN NORTHWESTERN HIMALAYA

Social and cultural diversity coupled with the environmental complexit y have developed magnitude of techniques and technologies regarding ma nagement of different sub-systems and have evolved different sets of a pproaches for natural resource-use. Indigenous peoples have the power to make decisions concerning the sustainable use and management of nat ural resources; this is governed by village committee/institutions. Su ch institutions could be strengthen providing adequate training and te chnical assistance to adapt their more traditional land-use systems to modem economic conditions. A meaningful development could be achieved only when culture and indigenous knowledge equalized with the ecologi cal and economic developmental packages. Labour intensive techniques e mployed within the framework of modem appropriate technology can impro ve agricultural production in the area, high yields can be maintained and labour efficiency maximized. Finally, appropriate training in all cash fetching and market demanding articles/items could improve econom ic pool of the marginal peoples of the watershed.