ECODEVELOPMENT PLANNING AT INDIA GREAT-HIMALAYAN-NATIONAL-PARK FOR BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION AND PARTICIPATORY RURAL-DEVELOPMENT

The existing network of Protected Areas (PAs) in India is the major ef fort aimed at biodiversity conservation at the national level. The sus tainability of PAs is heavily influenced by local people who are large ly dependent on natural resources (fuel, fodder, minor forest products ) for their livelihood. While all PAs are surrounded by historically r esource-dependent communities, several of them have villages within th eir core areas, too. This has necessitated an alternative approach to natural resource management which aims to integrate the interests of c onservation with those of the nearby resource dependent communities. T he case of the Great Himalayan National Park illustrates and incorpora tes the lessons from Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) implemented elsewhere in the world.