Ecotourism, Forest Rights, and the Disappearing Pastures: A Fragile Equilibrium
GS-3, Unit-3, Sub Unit-3, HPAS Mains
Himachal Pradesh, celebrated for its natural splendour, faces a critical challenge: balancing its burgeoning ecotourism in himachal pradesh industry with the unfulfilled promise of forest rights and the severe loss of traditional pasture lands. This complex dynamic profoundly impacts indigenous communities and the fragile ecosystems they call home.
Ecotourism in Himachal: Promise and Peril
The state’s 2024 Eco-Tourism Policy aims to develop 77 new sites, promoting sustainable practices and community involvement through initiatives like online forest rest house bookings and training local youth as nature guides. The objective is to disperse tourists from crowded urban hubs and bring them closer to nature, yielding economic benefits for both the state and local communities. Examples include the development of Potter Hill and Shoghi in Shimla and Solang Nallah in Kullu.
However, this rapid tourism growth, even under an “eco” label, carries significant risks:
- Environmental Strain: Over 160 lakh annual visitors (more than double the state’s population) exert immense pressure on natural resources, leading to increased waste, water consumption, and pollution, especially in popular spots like Shimla, Manali, and Dharamshala.
- Infrastructure Development: The construction of hotels, resorts, and expanded roads often results in deforestation and land degradation. Reports indicate thousands of trees cut for highways and power plants, contributing to landslides and dwindling water sources.
- Loss of Authenticity: Commercialization risks eroding the cultural integrity of local communities, reducing their traditions to mere tourist attractions.
The Stalled Promise of Forest Rights
The Forest Rights Act (FRA) of 2006 was designed to rectify historical injustices against forest-dwelling communities. In Himachal Pradesh, its implementation, particularly in non-tribal areas, has been notably slow and problematic:
- Delayed Implementation: Despite a 2012 decision to implement FRA in non-tribal areas, procedural flaws and lack of community awareness have caused significant delays, leaving many vulnerable to eviction.
- Conflicting Policies: Disagreements between the Forest and Revenue Departments over land classification, alongside contradictory judicial orders and pre-FRA eviction notices, create legal confusion.
- Bureaucratic Hurdles: The claims process is complex, and local officials often lack adequate training. A controversial circular in April 2025 (since withdrawn) from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, advising “utmost caution” in accepting FRA claims, highlighted deep-seated bureaucratic resistance to rights recognition.
- Impact on Livelihoods: Without formal FRA recognition, communities lose legal standing to manage and benefit from forest resources, jeopardizing traditional livelihoods and diminishing conservation incentives.
The Shrinking Commons: A Crisis for Pastoralists
Himachal Pradesh’s pastoralist communities (Gaddis, Gujjars, Kinnauras, Lahaulas, Pangwalas) depend on transhumance. However, decreasing pasture lands pose an existential threat:
- Encroachment: Traditional grazing routes and halting sites are increasingly encroached upon by agriculture, urban expansion, hydropower projects, and tourism infrastructure, forcing pastoralists into smaller, degraded areas, leading to overgrazing and environmental damage.
- Afforestation Policies: Historically, forest department afforestation drives have often displaced grazing lands. While a landmark January 2025 decision by the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department to identify and protect over 1,600 traditional pastoral routes and halting sites is positive, effective implementation remains to be seen.
- Climate Change Impacts: Erratic rainfall, changing weather patterns, and increased droughts further degrade pasture quality, making fodder scarcity a persistent challenge.
- Lack of Secure Tenure: Despite customary grazing rights, pastoralists often lack formal land ownership, making them vulnerable to displacement and hindering long-term sustainable pasture management.
Towards a Sustainable Future
Himachal Pradesh needs an integrated, rights-based approach:
1. Expedite FRA Implementation: Prioritize awareness campaigns, streamline processes, and train officials for swift recognition of forest rights.
2. Community-Centric Ecotourism: Empower local communities through meaningful participation, fostering local entrepreneurship, homestays, and respectful, sustainable tourism practices.
3. Protect Pastoral Commons: Enforce the protection of pastoral routes, involve communities in land-use planning, and initiate pasture regeneration efforts, acknowledging grasslands’ ecological importance.
4. Integrated Land Use Planning: Develop a holistic plan balancing tourism, conservation, and community rights, requiring inter-departmental coordination and genuine stakeholder consultation.
5. Robust Environmental Safeguards: Implement strict Environmental Impact Assessments for all projects, focusing on minimizing ecological footprints, waste management, and water conservation.
Himachal Pradesh’s prosperity and environmental health depend on this delicate balance. By empowering local communities and respecting their traditions and rights, the “Abode of Snow” can become a model of sustainable development, where people and nature truly thrive in harmony.
This analysis is presented by Nimbus IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching institute in Chandigarh, committed to guiding aspirants through comprehensive understanding of GS-3 topics relevant for HPAS Mains.