: A livestock grazing ban has transformed pastoral communities in Sikkim #IndiaNEWS The high-altitude rangelands of the eastern Himalayas with the backdrop of towering snow-capped mountains might be

A livestock grazing ban has transformed pastoral communities in Sikkim #IndiaNEWS
The high-altitude rangelands of the eastern Himalayas with the backdrop of towering snow-capped mountains might be a dream vacation destination for some. But for many traditional pastoralists who once reared livestock in the region, these rangelands have been crucial to their livelihood.A recent interview-based study in India’s eastern Himalayan state of Sikkim examines the impact of the grazing ban and the subsequent promotion of tourism in the state on the lives of traditional pastoralists. The findings show that the grazing ban resulted in the loss of herding and culture along with increased inequality and elite capture. The authors recommend that the views of ex-herders and the local community should be included when planning conservation policies.“Given more than 40 percent of the terrestrial area of the earth is under rangelands, I believe we should focus on bringing the pastoralists and their knowledge in rangeland management and successful rangeland restoration,??? says Rashmi Singh, lead author of the study and a doctoral student at Ambedkar University, Delhi.From pastoralism to tourismWith respect to conservation, the most common narrative on the use of rangelands by pastoralists and the practice of agriculture has been that it leads to degradation and a decline in biodiversity. On the other hand, scholars have...Read more

Stock Market NEWS Best intraday tips Intraday Stocks below 100