1.
Community Participation in Environment Management
Case studies of wetlands conservation in Himachal Pradesh, north-western Himalaya
SANJEEV SHARMA
CSRD/SSS-III, JNU, New Delhi
E-mail: sanjeevsharma@mail.jnu.ac.in

2.
Why Conservation?
Why Participation?
Are we conserving our self or whom?
Development vs Conservation

3.
Man-Environmental relationship
• The human-environment relationships deals primarily with the linkages
between the social and physical systems, focusing on the human
pressures on the biogeochemical processes and the environmental
effects on society.
• Man-environmental relationship changed
through time with the development of human
society and dimension of environment
Physical man Social economic
technological man

4.
Environment & Man
• The environment affects man through:
Biophysical limitation
Behavioral Controls
Resources availability
Economic deterministic
Ecological

5.
Genesis
• Ecosystem services can be defined as all the benefits people obtain from ecosystem.
• These benefits include provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural services
directly and indirectly to the people living in that particular landscape.
• Assessing the key ecosystem indicators can play an important role in decision-making
and adaptive management and provide an important interface between science,
society, technology, nature and policy.
• Key relevant indicators provided ecosystem services are forest, land, water, air and
other various ecological services.
• The key to sustainable development is achieving a balance between exploitation of
natural resource for socio-economic development and conserving ecosystem services
that are critical to every ones well being and livelihoods.
The sustainable development Goals (SDGs15), mentioned the need to integrate
ecosystem value into planning development process and strategies for reducing
poverty.

6.
Discovery of farming:
 Early human began noticing things around them and started thinking
more about those things.
 They saw the seed in the soil grew into plants and got the idea of
growing plants for their food.
 They started collecting and sowing seed in the soil thus start growing
food for his family.
 For farming, they used stones to dig the soil first. Later on they
improved their tools using wood. Now they could give proper shape to
their tools that were made up of wood and stones.
 Started taming useful animals like hen, goats, cows, sheep and dog.
 They used some animals for getting food like milk and eggs and some of
them were useful for cartage and farming.
 They started using bullocks to plough the field and dogs for hunting and
security from wild animals.

7.
Life’s of early man…………………
Hunting and gathering

8.
Human
Activities
that have changed the biosphere include
may have once caused often relies on the methods of the
have resulted in
which increased
Food supply Pesticide use Monoculture
use
Hunting and
gathering
Agriculture
Industrial
growth
Urban
development
Extinctions of
large animals
Green
revolution
High standard
of living
Increased
pollution
Section 6-1
Concept Map
Go to
Section:

9.
• The emergence of farming is embedded in broader cultural developments occuring
among hunter gatherer communities some 10,000 year ago (8000 BC to 12000
BC).Earth belong to hunter gathering .
• The key factor in this process was the biological domestacation of targeted plants and
animals through selective breeding and other form of selection.
• Much earlier in the Paleothic period of the ICE AGE.
• Domestication Economic process of managing the reproduction of plants and
animals and changing their character Increase control by human
Separation

10.
Wetlands:
A wetland is any place, where people can get their feet wet without being able to swim
Wetlands are ecosystems that provide numerous goods and services that have an
economic value, not only to the local population living in its periphery but also to
communities living outside the wetland area. They are important sources for food, fresh
water and building materials and provide valuable services such as water treatment and
erosion control.
The Ramsar Convention describes wetlands as "areas of marsh, fen, peat land or Water,
whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporal, with water that is static or flowing,
fresh, brackish or slat, including areas of marine water, the depth of which at low tide
does not exceed six metres" (Ramsar Convention, 1971).
Wetlands are often described as “ Kidneys of the landscape” (Mitsch & Gosselink)

11.
Wetlands of the World

12.
HAW distribution worldwide (reported in scientific literature)
Sources: WWF-India

13.
Photo//© Sanjeev Sharma

14.
Photo//© Sanjeev Sharma

15.
Background
• The Himalayan high altitude wetlands (3000 m asl) are unique and immensely productive ecosystems, playing a crucial role
in the interaction with all other ecosystems.
• High-altitude wetlands (HAWs) have a direct impact on freshwater systems of downstream.
• These wetlands represent unique flora, especially native, endemic and medicinal plants and are important for their survival.
• They are also crucial for the mountain communities who depend on these wetlands directly or indirectly for their livelihoods.
• Chandertal and Manimahesh are very important high altitude wetlands of Himachal Pradesh and major attraction for
Tourists & Pilgrims.
•At present these wetlands are facing growing impacts of the tourism in the region which adds significantly to the biotic
pressures on wetlands and adjoining grasslands.
• The degradation can be checked through proper management of the tourism, controlling the grazing pressure and
sustainable development.

16.
Importance of wetlands

17.
Floral Diversity of HAW in H.P.
Caltha palustris
Lagotis kanawarensis
Corydalis species
Saussurea species Rhodiola species
Pleurospermum species
Potentilla peduncularis
Androsace sarmentosa
Anemone rivylaris
Euphorbia pilosa

18.
Ramsar Wetlands in India
Source: MoEF, 2007

19.
List of Ramsar Site in India
Sources: http://www.ramsar.org/sites/default/files/documents/library/sitelist.pdf

20.
0
500
1000
1500
2000
> 500 100-500 25-100 10-25. < 10 <2,25
Very Large Large Medium Small very small < 2.25
12 30
179
495
1991 1996
No.
of
lakes
Lake Size (ha.)
Size wise distribution of high altitude wetlands in the IHR
95462
4861
7434
7558
8429 2505
Very Large Large Medium Small very small < 2.25
Total lakes=4703; Area 126249 ha. Source: SAC, ISRO, 2011

21.
State No. of lakes Area (ha.) % Lake Area
Arunchala Pradesh 1672 11863 9.4
Himachal Pradesh 272 617 0.49
Jammu Kashmir 2104 110131 87.23
Sikkim 534 3325 2.63
Uttarakhand 118 231 0.18
West Bengal 3 82 0.07
4703 126249 100
State wise distribution of high altitude wetlands in IHR
Source: SAC, ISRO, 2011

22.
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000
3000-4000
4000-5000
>5000
High
altitude
Higher
altitude
Very
high
altitude
1300
2642
761
No. of Lakes
1300
2642
761
High altitude 3000-4000 Higher altitude 4000-5000 Very high altitude >5000
Area (ha.)
Source: SAC, ISRO, 2011
Altitude wise distribution of HAW in the Himalaya

23.
0
50
100
150
200
250
> 500 100-500 25-100 10-25. < 10 <2,25
Very Large Large Medium Small very small < 2.25
3 5
34
230
No.
of
HAW
in
H.P.
Area (ha.)
Size wise status of HAW in Himachal Pradesh
Source: SAC, ISRO, 2011

24.
• Home to several Endangered, Endemic species
• Hydrological role due to location in headwaters of mighty rivers
• Role as natural reservoirs
• Immense livelihood, cultural and spiritual significance for the local communities
• Wetland conditions and productivity are largely dependent upon climate and hydrologic
regimes.
• Several global climate models predict an increase in temperature and precipitation for
the Himalaya over the next century.
• A warmer and wetter climate will have unknown consequences for high altitude
wetlands and downstream river systems.
High Altitude Wetlands: Critically Important

25.
CAPACITY BUILDING
RESOURCE MATERIAL
Workshops
Trainings
Meetings
Students competitions
Camps
Visits
Posters/Charts
Movies
(Multimedia Cds)
LCD Presentation
Manuals
Books
Brochures
News paper/Radio
Awareness component

26.
Wetlands Conservation
Step 1: Learn (L) about the issue
thoroughly
Step 2: Experience (E) and Evaluate
the knowledge
Step 3: Adapt (A) the knowledge for
community
Step 4: (P) Promote the Knowledge
LEAP
Sources: Bhandri, B.B. (2003)

27.
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
Kangra
Chamba
Kullu
Kinnaur
Lahaul-Spiti
Shimla
Mandi
2960
3000-4400
2700-4600
3600-4000
3700-4800
3960
2900
1
18
8
5
7
1
1
Lakes (in number)
A
l
t
i
t
u
d
e
(
m
a
s
l
)
/
D
i
s
t
r
i
c
t
High Altitude Wetlands: Field Survey

28.
Study Sites
32023'44002" N to 076038'18009" E (4088
masl)
77° 37'0”E and 32° 28'52”N
(4,290 masl)

29.
Different view of Manimahesh Lake
High altitude wetlands in Chamba District

30.
Status of Kareri Lake in distt. Kangra

31.
HAW in Kinnaur High altitude wetlands in Kinnaur District

32.
Status of Nako Lake

33.
High altitude wetlands in Kullu District

34.
High altitude wetlands in Kullu District

35.
Threats

36.
Waste scenarios at Chandratal Lake
Heap of Waste
Half-burnt Waste
Waste in a Pit
Collected Waste

37.
Steps of Solid Waste Sampling (Kuniyal & Sharma, 2009)
0.0
10.0
20.0
30.0
40.0
50.0
60.0
70.0
80.0
90.0
100.0
Per
cent
(by
weight)
NBW RBW BW
NBW RBW BW
Waste characterization results
Collection Segregation
Quantification

38.
Threats
Weed generation
Development of concrete wall

39.
Action component for HAW Conservation

40.
Involvement of Indian Army for HAW Conservation

41.
Publications

42.
Conservation Initiative in Manimahesh Lake

43.
High Altitude Wetlands Conservation
Impacts at Manimahesh
2009
2009
2010
2010

44.
Conservation Measures: Awareness

45.
Initiatives for Conservation Measures
Conservation Measures

46.
In 2006 when we have started (GBPIHED) waste management study at Chandertal lake situation is
like this but after 5 years lake is now conserved and no camping, waste, entry of vehicles and other
problem at Chandertal lake, tourists now put their tents 2.5 kms away from the lake, trek more than 2
kms, parked their vehicles and camp in the designated camping and paring site.
In 2011
In 2011
In 2006 In 2006

47.
In 2011 In 2010
In 2009
In 2011

48.
In 2009
In 2009
In 2011
In 2011

49.
Mr. Govind standing in the right side. Dhaba’s and tent owners put his tent near to lake in the past (see in photo 2006-2010)
but now he is helping in conservation activities and shifted his tents and dhabas 2.5 kms away from the lake. In right side Mr,
Govind is standing in the empty old site of his dhaba.
In 2011
In 2006

50.
Acknowledgements
Mr. Govind
Mr. Lovgang Mr. Nawang
State Council for Science
Technology & Environment
Forest Deptt. Govt. of H.P.
Distt. Adminstration
Thanks