Copyright © All rights reserved. Pan Himalayan Grassroots Development Foundation.
Exploitation of forests over the years may have contributed to economic growth for certain sections of society but it has been at the cost of ecological security. Such exploitative policies have directly led to the impoverishment of marginal mountain farmers dependent upon forests as support areas for their livelihood.
We at Grassroots strongly believe that sustainable mountain development is possible only if forest ecosystems are restored, thereby effecting necessary recharge of water sources and nutrient recycling. And this can happen effectively if various stakeholders – farming families, NGOs, the state government, local administration, forest officials – act in unison. Grassroots has been striving for such a coalition of efforts in two river basins: Gagas in the central Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, and Palor in the western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Our endeavor in such a multi-stakeholder platform of key players in the river basin is to ‘put the villagers first’, making it clear to all players in the multi-stakeholder platform that the community is the primary stakeholder.
We at Grassroots strongly believe that sustainable mountain development is possible only if forest ecosystems are restored, thereby effecting necessary recharge of water sources and nutrient recycling. And this can happen effectively if various stakeholders – farming families, NGOs, the state government, local administration, forest officials – act in unison. Grassroots has been striving for such a coalition of efforts in two river basins: Gagas in the central Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, and Palor in the western Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh. Our endeavor in such a multi-stakeholder platform of key players in the river basin is to ‘put the villagers first’, making it clear to all players in the multi-stakeholder platform that the community is the primary stakeholder.
The Gagas river basin plan has been endorsed by HELP, UNESCO as part of its global efforts for restoration of languishing river systems. The collaboration with UNESCO will lead to transfer of scientific knowledge/tools, especially related to hydrology, forests and weather, to communities through Grassroots.
One unit of agricultural land requires 7 units of forest land to sustain it. Currently in the Himalaya that ratio is down to one to one in several river basins.. We’re working with villages to establish community nurseries to redress the balance and provide sustainable livelihoods.
UNESCO Endorsement
Community Forestry
Click here to View River Basin Video: