Pastoralism and Rangeland Management on the Tibetan Plateau in ...

3.2 Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong> <strong>and</strong> Eco-tourism
Narendra Lama 12
Abstract
Upper Mustang is one of the sparsely populated districts of Nepal, covering
2,567 km2. Much of it is dominated by pastures. Forbidden to visitors for
centuries, Upper Mustang was opened in March 1992, by the government, for
controlled <strong>and</strong> regulated, high-value tourism. Upper Mustang falls under the
jurisdiction of Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA) under the management
of the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC), one of the leading
non-governmental organizations dedicated to conservation <strong>and</strong> development.
ACA, the largest conservation area in Nepal, was initiated in 1986, in an effort
to balance nature conservation with the local people’s needs, while also improving
their livelihoods. Since the inception of Annapurna Conservation Area
Project (ACAP), its primary focus has been on integrated conservation <strong>and</strong> development
programmes. These programmes emphasize: resource conservation,
infrastructure development, agriculture, health service, women’s development,
alternative energy, the promotion of eco-tourism <strong>and</strong> conservation awareness.
Upper Mustang has a substantial share of rangel<strong>and</strong>s. Increasing degradation
of the pastures imposes a severe threat to the sustainability of the local herders’
livelihoods. Thus, tourism could be a supplementary asset for their livelihoods,
along with animal husb<strong>and</strong>ry. The nomadic lifestyle, culture, l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong>
pasture, as well as traditional herding sites can be marketed as tourism products,
offering new travel destinations. Livestock herders can be motivated to diversify
their livelihoods from low value at a higher volume to high value at low volume.
For instance, they can produce milk for cheese or butter or produce pashmina.
12 Research Officer at the National Trust for Nature Conservation, Annapurna Conservation
Area Project
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> > > 3. Eco-tourism <strong>and</strong> Nature Protection in Relation to <strong>Pastoralism</strong> <strong>and</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong>