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

contributed largely by the native population. The issue of waste management is
an urgent one in many settlements.
5 Linking Ecotourism with Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong>
The spatial distribution shows a good share in rangel<strong>and</strong>s in Upper Mustang
<strong>and</strong> there are still quite a number of local herders. The drying <strong>and</strong> changing
climatic conditions <strong>and</strong> the increasing scarcity of grasses in pastures imposes
greater threats to local herders’ livelihoods. Thus tourism could possibly be
a nice option to supplement their livestock herding. The nomadic lifestyle,
the rangel<strong>and</strong> culture, the l<strong>and</strong>scape <strong>and</strong> the pastures, as well as traditional
herding sites, can be developed as a tourist products. Livestock products such
as milk <strong>and</strong> meat can be used <strong>and</strong> manufactured into commercial food items
such as cheese, butter, milk products, different meat items, pashmina wool,
woollen clothes, etc. These products could provide a sum of money that could
significantly increase the local herders’ incomes.
5.1 Impact of Tourism on Rangel<strong>and</strong> Resources
The tourism business in Lower Mustang is becoming a part of the lives <strong>and</strong>
livelihoods of the people. However, this is not the same in Upper Mustang,
which is still a so-called restricted area. From a rangel<strong>and</strong> resources pointof-view
this is rather beneficial, but as far as poor people are concerned the
real benefits from this sector do not go to them. Currently, tourists in a group
usually stay in big houses or hotels where camping facilities are available. Thus,
the majority of the benefit goes to the people who run these places. Additionally,
tourism has made buckwheat, wheat, naked barley, dry forage (hay), etc.
expensive for the poor.
Despite all of this, there are some positive possible impacts on rangel<strong>and</strong> resources
in the long run. Such impacts could include a change in the livestock
herd composition because people maintain more productive animals for milk,
meat, wool (pashmina) <strong>and</strong> egg production, due to an increased dem<strong>and</strong> from
tourists. This would reduce the number of unproductive animals. Also, livestock
herders can go for product diversification in an intensive <strong>and</strong> commercial
way; from low value, higher volume to high value, low volume. For example,
they can produce milk for cheese, butter, chhurpee (dried cheese), <strong>and</strong> work on
pashmina production <strong>and</strong> processing. Likewise, the climate of Mustang is best
suitable for hay production, <strong>and</strong> there is a high dem<strong>and</strong> for dried forage. This
activity could take a commercial shape, even for those who do not have any
livestock, as a bundle of hay weighing 1 to 2 kg can go for NRs 30.
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