The Indian State of
Himachal Pradesh is a mostly mountainous area,
neighboring Tibet and China in the East, the Indian
states of Jammu and Kashmir in the north and northwest,
Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal and Uttar Pradesh to the
south. It has a geographical area of 55,673 sq. Kms.
and a population of 6.1 million people and is located
at altitudes ranging from 350 to 7000 meters (1050 ft.
to 21000 ft.). Nestled in the Western Himalayas, it
has provided refuge and abode to the Buddhist leader,
the Dalai Lama and his Tibetan followers. This majestic,
almost mythic terrain is famous for its beauty and serenity.
The forests of Himachal Pradesh (H.P) constitute two-thirds
of the state’s geographic area and are crucial
to the region’s environmental and economic well-being---a
storehouse of rich bio-diversity, vital in preserving
the fragile Himalayan eco-system, and a primary livelihood
source for its rural population. The ‘forest sector’
encompassing the entire biophysical and environmental
components, highly sensitive to the uniqueness of the
mountain environment, must place its people at the centre.
Accordingly a new course has been charted
to shift forest policy in a way that recognizes the
ecological and social value of environmental services
as well as its economic values. Tapping environmental
services through eco-tourism offers a way to alleviate
poverty and enhance livelihood
options.
