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

5.2 Potentiality of Ecotourism Development in Rangel<strong>and</strong> Areas
The panoramic <strong>and</strong> unique l<strong>and</strong>scape of the rangel<strong>and</strong>s of Upper Mustang can
be harnessed for tourism promotion. The Nepalese government’s high priority
for the creation of a road network around the Upper Mustang would also have
a great impact upon the mode of tourism in Upper Mustang. Once the rural
areas of Upper Mustang become regularly connected through the road, several
pasture areas where local herders sustain their livelihoods can be developed as
tourism destinations. Tourists can then make these side trips to experience new
modes of life in the nature <strong>and</strong> culture of the area. Most of the rangel<strong>and</strong> can be
harnessed for wildlife-based tourism for tourists to observe endangered species
such as the snow leopard, the brown bear <strong>and</strong> frequents herds of blue sheep,
along with being able to observe the fauna.
The following are the main potentialities for ecotourism promotion in the
rangel<strong>and</strong> of upper Mustang:
�� New destinations: expansion of the road network to new destinations,
such as side trips for tourists to see the herder’s community <strong>and</strong> the places
of the nomads
�� Promote tourism-based income generation for local herder’s, in order to
improve the livelihoods of herder communities
�� Minimize the pressure upon the rangel<strong>and</strong>s by linking tourism with
conservation to reduce the conflicts between people <strong>and</strong> the wild life
6 Role of NTNC-ACAP in diversifying Tourism Benefits in Rangel<strong>and</strong>s
In the last few years, the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC),
in cooperation with the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), have
been trying to diversify the distribution of money made from tourism to the
remote local herders.
(i) Pasture L<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong> Sub-committee formation <strong>and</strong> support
In the last five years, the project has formed a Pasture L<strong>and</strong>
<strong>Management</strong> Sub-committee in order to support the local herders <strong>and</strong>
improve the pasturel<strong>and</strong>s they use. Regular meetings have been held
<strong>and</strong> several useful decisions have been made to address important issues,
such as the implementation of rotational grazing, increases in taxes <strong>and</strong>
the resolution of some disputes about the sovereignty of pasturel<strong>and</strong>s
<strong>and</strong> their uses. This sub-committee is also useful for dem<strong>and</strong>ing
infrastructure development programmes from concerned organizations.
(ii) Training <strong>and</strong> awareness generation
97
> > > 3. Eco-tourism <strong>and</strong> Nature Protection in Relation to <strong>Pastoralism</strong> <strong>and</strong> Rangel<strong>and</strong> <strong>Management</strong>