Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary: Nature-Culture Linkages in a Sacred Landscape in Indian Himalayan Region

Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary is among the largest protected areas in Western Himalaya. The vast variability in climate, geology, and topography results in a rich biological diversity with varied floral and faunal assemblages. The landscape has many sacred elements, which includes the famous Kedar circuit, comprising of five Shiva temples and many other Hindu shrines. Forest patches, alpine meadows, and trees associated with shrines or local deities are also considered sacred. The landscape has around 172 villages with local communities holding traditional rights of phyto-resource use from the area; 12 villages are located inside the Sanctuary. In recent decades, various natural and anthropogenic challenges have been threatening the nature-culture mix that forms the foundation of sacredness of the landscape. It becomes imperative that policies and action programs to enhance ecological sustainability are appropriated and local cultural beliefs, with embedded conservation ethics, are integrated in the environmental governance and management of the landscape

Annex 4: The Role of Indigenous and Customary Knowledges in Nature-Culture Linkage

This paper reports some reflections on our participation in the Capacity Building Workshop on Nature-Culture Linkages in Heritage Conservation in Asia and the Pacific, Sacred Landscapes, in September 2017, at the University of Tsukuba. The workshop explored the nature-culture linkages for integrated conservation as part of the World Heritage Capacity Building Programme. The learning framework revolved around, among other activities, a fieldtrip to the Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range, World Heritage Cultural Landscape since 2004. In contemplating the capacity building process, we present our reflection regarding three areas relevant to Indigenous and customary practices - governance, language and stewardship - in order to contribute to strengthening nature-culture linkages in the Asia-Pacific region. We also present some challenges for the integration of the sacred into the management of World Heritage sites. We conclude that a greater understanding of Indigenous and customary knowledges and their historical development within World Heritage processes will enable more effective management of heritage sites in the Asia-Pacific region

Climate Change Perceptions, Data, and Adaptation in the Garhwal Himalayas of India

Himalayan communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we compare local perceptions of climate change from a household survey (n = 251) to climate data obtained from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS 2.1) and MODIS Terra Snow Cover data product datasets. The study is situated in and around the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located within the Garhwal Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. We found that a large majority of respondents perceive that rainfall is increasing and that snowfall is decreasing, while a smaller majority perceives an increase in summer temperatures and no change in winter temperatures. Agreeing with the perceptions of the majority, the climate data show an increase in summer temperature and winter rainfall. However, the climate data also show an increase in winter temperature, and no monotonic change in snowfall, findings which are contrary to the perception of the majority. Household perceptions of climate change were not associated with adaptation; while many households perceived change, very few reported that they were planning to adapt. To encourage adaptation, communities would benefit from locally appropriate climate data products, and collaboration on best practices with researchers, NGOs, and extension services

Assessment of Wetland Water Quality and Avian Diversity of a Human-Modified Floodplain Wetland on River Yamuna

Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS) is an Important Bird Area, which comes under the protected area network of Uttar Pradesh with one-third area lying in the state of Delhi (India). OBS has widest flood plains along the Delhi stretch of river Yamuna and is important in conserving the ecological wealth of floodplains of the river. Rapid urbanization and industrialization and discharge of untreated wastewater into the river have resulted in deteriorated water quality. The present study focused on assessment of water quality, aquatic flora and avifaunal diversity in the OBS. Water quality was analyzed following methods of APHA. For vegetation analysis, sub-merged and free-floating plants were scooped up from five randomly selected sites. Total bird counts were conducted for water birds and species richness, evenness and Shannon-Weaver species diversity indices were calculated. Results indicate that the organic load is very high in the wetland as evident from low levels of dissolved oxygen (2.26 ± 1.62 mg/l) and high Biological and Chemical Oxygen Demands (15.20 ± 3.75 mg/l, 44.60 ± 12.07 mg/l). Nine species of free-floating and submerged plants were recorded; Hydrilla verticillata, Vallisneria spiralis, Azolla pinnata and Ceratophyllum demersum dominated both deep and shallow water areas. 52 species of waterbirds including four near-threatened species viz., Anhinga melanogaster, Mycteria leucocephala, Threskiornis melanocephalus and Aythya nyroca were recorded. OBS provides opportunities for conservation in a metropolitan area, thus, appropriate measures should be taken to maintain its ecological integrity

Forest Composition and Structure Under Various Disturbance Regimes in the Alaknanda River Basin, Western Himalaya

This study explored the resilience of mountain forests in a protected area in Alaknanda River basin, Western Himalaya, to various disturbance scenarios. The resource dependency of village communities in the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary Landscape was studied through a questionnaire survey in 10 villages situated along an elevational gradient. Vegetation sampling was done in government-owned sanctuary forests and community-owned forests, both visited by villagers. Forest community composition, regeneration status, and tree population structure were studied to understand the impact of disturbance on forests and their resistance to anthropogenic alterations. Results indicated a reduction in both fuelwood and fodder consumption with decreasing elevation, with villages at higher elevations and located inside the sanctuary depending more on forest resources. Forests showed evidence of disturbance in the form of lower basal cover, mean canopy cover, regeneration, and disturbance-influenced distribution of shrubs. However, despite the signs of secondary succession, Quercus leucotrichophora forest has retained the original tree species composition. Vegetation recovery on 3 landslide sites at varying successional stages was also studied. The old successional site had higher species richness than early successional sites. The only tree species with adult individuals recorded in early successional sites was Alnus nepalensis, an early successional nitrogen-fixing species. The community composition of the old successional site, at Bandwara, included young individuals of Q. leucotrichophora, the climax species of forests in that elevational range. The current forest structure of both disturbed forest and vegetation recovery on the old succession site indicate the resilient dynamism of native Himalayan forests. Considering the role of mountain forests in achieving sustainable development, it is imperative to study the dynamics of changes in forest community and structure in response to increasing human pressure and climate change impacts

Local Perceptions of Change in Climate and Agroecosystems in the Indian Himalayas: A Case Study of the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS) Landscape, India

Agricultural communities in the Himalayas are especially vulnerable to the shocks of climate change. An improved understanding of how residents perceive changes to climate and agroecosystems is critical to creating and implementing locally appropriate adaptation strategies. In this study, we administered a questionnaire to 251 residents within 16 villages in and adjacent to the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary (KWS), a culturally and ecologically important area in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. The study area is rugged and remote, and the resource-dependent communities are among the least-studied of the region. Using the questionnaire, we investigated how residents perceive changes to climate and agroecosystems, how households are adapting, and whether perceptions and adaptations differ by demographic and livelihood factors. We used both quantitative (summary statistics, t-tests, and chi square tests) and qualitative strategies (interpretation of open-ended responses) to analyze the questionnaire results. A majority of respondents perceived an increase in many variables including flash flood/landslide events, total annual rainfall, average summer temperature, agricultural pests, crop failure, and crop raiding by wild animals. In most cases, perceptions did not vary by demographic or livelihood factors. However, larger landholders were more likely to perceive an increase in intense rain/snow, average annual rainfall, and wildlife sightings in fields. Most respondents reported that they were not adapting or planning to adapt to change. However, a few reported adaptation strategies such as changing crops and planting vegetation to stabilize soil, as well as pesticide use. Respondents believed that to effectively adapt they need assistance from outside institutions. Locally-based (panchayat) and state-level institutions were ranked as very helpful for adaptation, but the Forest Department, Government of India, and NGOs received lower rankings. Overall, the respondents demonstrated a high level of agreement in their perceptions of change and barriers to adaptation. The broad consensus among residents offers an important opportunity for consensus building and collaboration with local and national institutions. The study has implications for collaborative public works and research projects which can help to build trust, develop locally-appropriate adaptation strategies, reduce conflict with wild animals, share insights, and increase the visibility of local knowledge about climate and agroecosystems. Furthermore, the study illustrates how understanding the perceptions and insights of agricultural communities around protected areas can inform adaptation at the ground level

Plant species of Okhla Bird Sanctuary: a wetland of Upper Gangetic Plains, India [with erratum]

The Okhla Bird Sanctuary (OBS), a man-modified floodplain wetland having high human impact, is located in an urbanized landscape. Its location in the Central Asian Flyway of migratory birds makes it an ideal transit and wintering ground for birds. This paper describes the vegetation composition and significance of the Sanctuary as a bird habitat. A floristic survey was carried out from winter 2009 to spring 2010 while preparing a management plan for OBS. 192 species of plants belonging to 46 families were recorded from the area. Thirteen species of weeds were observed covering 70% of the sampled area in peak summer. Among trees, highest density was found for two exotic species viz., Leucaena leucocephala and Prosopis juliflora. The aquatic system is facing threat from proliferation of Eichhornia cressipes and Typha angustifolia. Strategic eradication of invasive and plantation of native species in the sanctuary are needed for better management