Author(s):
Ian Snider - Appalachian State University
Abstract:
The Bhotiya of the Niti Valley in the Garhwal Himalaya of India have traditionally practiced transhumance. Such practices are now fading due to a variety of factors including the closure of the border with Tibet and the creation of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve. This paper will examine the political ecology of transhumance in the Niti Valley and pose the question: How have political, economic and ecological factors combined to produce a situation where transhumance is no longer a viable livelihood option? A literature review combined with in depth interviews of herders, villagers and land managers is used to construct an historical analysis of the changes which have marginalized the Bhotiya practicing transhumance in the Niti Valley. This research addresses how the encroachment of global capitalism, forest policy changes and ecological changes brought about by the closure of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve have combined to produce a political, economic and ecological environment that is marginalizing transhumant populations in the Niti Valley. Understanding the processes which have contributed to the decline in transhumance in the Niti Valley may provide some insight into the trends of transhumant populations worldwide.
