Dr. Abdhesh Gangwar, Programme Director, CEE Himalayas presented a case study at the International Conference on ‘Pathways for Climate Resilient Livelihoods in Himalayan River Basins’ organized on August 1-2 by Institute of Rural Management, Anand at New Delhi.
The case study highlighted the scope of conservation and cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants for a climate resilient livelihood in the Indian Himalayan region. The study emphasized the need to build the resilience of communities to enable them to cope with the impacts of climate change. This could be achieved to a great extent by making sustainable use of the local biological resources; by maintaining a rich diversity of crops in the farming systems; management of pasture lands; growing fodder trees to support livestock-based livelihoods; identifying and promoting sustainable alternative livelihood options such as cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants and edible mushrooms, beekeeping, pine briquetting and many more depending upon local traditions and resources.
The keynote address was delivered by Professor Emeritus P.S. Ramakrishnan who stressed that cultural diversity and biological diversity are mutually supportive of each other. |
