An organization called BTCA works with communities near the Great Himalayan National Park to promote conservation and generate sustainable incomes. It forms women's savings groups to encourage saving, provides training, and helps market agricultural products, handicrafts, and ecotourism. Over time, the groups have grown to involve over 500 women, generated over $160,000 in annual income, and elected some members to local leadership roles while protecting the local environment. However, challenges remain in expanding production and markets while overcoming social barriers.

2. An Community Based Organization in the Western Himalayas working towards sustainable
alternative income generation activities in the Eco-zone of the Great Himalayan National
Park for
-Increased Local Participation
-Developing Alterative income generation along with conservation efforts
-Protection of natural environment and cultural heritage of the Seraj Valleys
-A prime example of Public Private Partnership along with Great Himalayan National Park
promoting biodiversity and community through means like ecotourism

3. Objectives
•Rising awareness for protection of environment and conservation of biodiversity within
the local community
•Ensuring decent livelihood for the villagers by creating sources of income to lessen
burden on GHNP’s fragile environment .
•Promoting inclusive socioeconomic development through upliftment of the poorest.
•Social, economic and political empowerment of women
•Ensuring that tourism in the park benefits the villagers in the first place
•Involving the villagers in conservation activities
•Promotion of girl education
•Rising awareness for women and children health

5. BIO DIVERSITY CONSERVATIION
-THROUGH WOMEN SAVING AND CREDIT GROUPS
- GIVING THEM ALTERNATIVE EMPLOYMENT
-TRAINING & CAPACITY BUILDING TO PRODUCE
QULAITY PRODUCTS
-GIVING MARKET ACCESS
- GIVING A VOICE TO THE POOR BY PROVIDING THEM
A CHOICE OF EMPLOYMENT OPPERTUNITIES

6. COMMUNITY ADVANCMENT
FORMING SELF HELP GROUPS
BY ORGANIZING TRAINING CAMPS
By creating opportunities of employment through
value addition of local products and marketing linkage
By Restoring an ecosystemic relationship between the
local community and the natural environment.
By

8. 0
200000
400000
600000
800000
1000000
1200000
1400000
Oct.2008
Jan.2009
Dec.2009
Jun.2010
Dec.2010
Jun.2011
Dec.2011
Aug.2012
Consumption Loan
Production Loan
Total Saving
Report of Saving and loans

10. •ABOUT 200 YOUTH TRAINED AND ORGANIZED IN
ECOTOURISM
•PREFORMING TREKS AND EXPEDETIONS IN THE GREAT
HIMALAYAN NATIONAL PARK
•HELPING ECO TOURISTS WITH OFF BEAT INTERPRETATION
OF THE CULTURAL ETO’s OF THE VILLAGES IN THE ECO
ZONE
•GENRATING ABOUT 5 LAKHS OF WAGES FOR MEN SELF
HELP GROUPS WITH HELP OF SUNSHINE HIMALAYAN
ADVENTURES- AN ECOTOURISM VENTURE IN KULLU

11. Origin of BTCA
 GHNP is not only the land of splendid nature, the area is also
inhabited for centuries by villagers whose livelihood closely depends
on the natural environment
 GHNP is created in 1999 for conservation of
landscape, biodiversity and endangered species
 Utilization of natural resources in the park became prohibited. As a
consequence, villagers were deprived of a substantial part of their
income
 To address this socioeconomic issue, the park authorities have
encouraged the villagers to make a local organization. It was named
SAHARA
 In 2008, SAHARA has given birth to a fresh organization BTCA
 BTCA stands for protection of environment and conservation of
biodiversity by making it socially feasible and economically viable for
the local community

12. Objectives of BTCA
 Rising awareness for protection of environment and conservation of
biodiversity among the local community
 Social, economic and political empowerment of women
 Promotion of girl education
 Ensuring decent livelihood for the villagers by creating sources of
income which do not require to utilize the park’s resources
 Promoting inclusive socioeconomic development through upliftment
of the poorest and lowest cast families
 Rising awareness for women and children health
 Ensuring that tourism in the park benefit the villagers in the first
place

13. Actions of BTCA
 Formation and empowerment of “Women Saving and Credit Groups”
(WSCGs) among the poorest and lowest cast families in the ecozone
 The WSCGs are encouraged to save daily at least one rupee that
they place on their joint bank account. They are also getting
involved in various production activities in the villages
 The saved money is gradually invested in income generating
activities
• Organic spices, medicinal plants and other agriculture products
• Apricot oil, honey, ghee
• Handicrafts
• Jams and juices made of local raw materials
 Training of youngsters for being employed in ecotourism activities
 Awareness programme through street theatre for conservation of
nature, health issues, girl child education
 In association with the park BTCA offers training, facilitates
production and marketing for the following products :
 The eco-zone is divided in 9 clusters headed by selected “Group
Organizers” who follow, support and motivate their respective groups

14. Outcomes
 Total saving of the groups adds up to 1,195,699 rupees
 52 WSCG’s have been formed, with a total of 546 members. Out of
them 194 belong to scheduled (lower) cast
 Total income generated through the new production/marketing
system for the last 3 years:
• Agriculture produces : 195,789 rupees
• Medicinal plants : 563,620 rupees
• Processed products : 146,614 rupees
• Handicraft : 70,065 rupees
• Worms and compost : 236,244 rupees
• Wages : 269,920 rupees
 Total income generated by ecotourism : 320,412 rupees
 30 medicinal plants propagation areas implemented
 110 vermi-compost beds are productive
 20 days awareness programme organized yearly since 2008
 22 ladies from the WSCGs have been elected in the local
administration. Many are now involved in village level decision making.
 4 souvenir shops have been opened for marketing of the products

15. Outcomes
0
200000
400000
600000
800000
1000000
1200000
1400000
Oct.2008
Jan.2009
Dec.2009
Jun.2010
Dec.2010
Jun.2011
Dec.2011
Aug.2012
Consumption Loan
Production Loan
Total Saving
Report of saving and loaning

16. Outcomes
0
50000
100000
150000
200000
250000
300000
Agriculture
Produces
Medicinal
Plants
Processed
Products
Handicraft Ecotourism Wages Worms and
compost
Report of Income Generated Activities
2009-2010
2010-2011
2011-2012

17. Challenges of BTCA
 Organizing systematic and regular production
 Opening appropriate marketing channels
 Involving more villagers in the socioeconomic movement
 Increasing the ecotourism profit return to the villagers
 Overcoming the social obstacles arising because of the cast factor
 Having some control on the tourism market forces for preserving the
landscape, the rural traditional culture, and respecting the ecotourism
principles

18. The future of BTCA
 Widening the range of production to home-made products that can
be marketed according to the fair-trade principles
 Mobilization of more villagers for formation of new WSCGs and
reinforcement of the promoted village social system
 Policy advocacy for benefiting of a well defined and legal frame
laying down the rules and regulations for ecotourism in GHNP
 Keeping the WSCGs away from partism
 Providing incentives for the Group Organizers and the most active
WSCGs
 Asserting the BTCA’s identity (new logo, web site, promotional
documents, capacity building of the members, etc)
 Involving the villagers in conservation activities

19. BTCA
Biodiversity, tourism and community advancement
Contact
:Gopal Krishan- 9418282148 ( Director-
btcaghnp@gmail.com)
Ankit Sood sunhimalaya@gmail.com
(9418102083- Ecotourism Consultant &
Trainer)