Main Article Content

Abstract

The people located in Sangla  valley in  the  state  of Himachal Pradesh  are  economically poor  due  to its inaccessibility and inhospitable geo-climatic setup but they  are  remarkably  rich  in  social and  cultural milieu and endowed natural wealth. Subsistence farming practices, livestock husbandry and trading off the minor forest resources such as medicinal plants, wild edibles and timber are the only means of economy of the rural people. People are socially categorized as tribal. They have their own empirical and innovative knowledge experienced/ inherited through trial and  error with  the locally  available biological resources and  diverse geo-climatic  condi- tions thus, establishing a perfect harmony with the  nature.  The  practices  of  conservation  of  cultural  and biological diversity have been practicing since time immemorial. The preservation of forests on the ground of social-cultural-religious cult and mythological beliefs has become a matter of adopting the strategies of revival of degraded landscape. There is need to adopt integrated model of options to achieve a meaningful development by incorporating indigenous knowledge with complex ecological/environmental milieus with present social and economic conditions derived  on scientific  parameters so that sustainability  of the  area could  be maintained  for long term.

Keywords

ecological knowledge biodiversity resources Himalayas

Article Details

How to Cite
Singh, G. S. (2005). Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Biodiversity and Resource used Practices in High altitudes Region of Western Himalayas . Environment Conservation Journal, 6(1-3), 47–57. https://doi.org/10.36953/ECJ.2005.0612307

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