Managing Fragile Ecosystems through IWM: A Case of Rudra Gad and Gadmola Gad of District Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Mountains are one of the major eco-systems upon whose higher slopes at least 10 per cent of the total population of the world is directly dependant. This however, does not provide the complete picture as 40 per cent of the world's population lives and relies on resources from the medium slopes while 50 per cent are affected directly or indirectly by mountain ecosystem. Despite this mountain ecosystem today is the most endangered and marginalized from the process of development. Home of a considerable biodiversity and numerous climatic systems on account of its vertical extent, mountains are the biological storehouse of natural resources. However, increasing population, rampant poverty is the human face of mountains, plagued by soil erosion, landslides and a consistent threat of a habitat being lost, it is high time that a comprehensive watershed approach involving people in the process of planning, implementation and monitoring ought to be evolved. The present paper assess the prevailing conditions and the approach that ought to be adopted for not only eco restoration but also alleviating the socio-economic condition of the populace of the area.