Since the 1970s the global development community has adopted conservation as an integral part of the development agenda, noting that the degradation of natural resources inhibits the stated goal of "poverty alleviation." There has been an explosion in policy interest related to conservation and ecosystem management, and the term "biodiversity" now is ubiquitous in the development discourse. A worldwide network of biosphere reserves and heritage sites has been established. While considerable attention has been devoted to the impact of reserves on natural systems, less attention has been given to the impact of these kinds of arrangements on the people who live in or near the reserves. This doctoral dissertation research project seeks to understand how conservation policy as articulated by international agencies like the United Nations and translated into action by national governments is transforming the lives and livelihoods of local communities dependent on the protected resources. It also explores how local communities resist these policies and strive to retain their control over resources. The project examines these issues through the case of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in the Indian Himalayas. The NDBR is a vast area of Himalayan wilderness surrounding the Nanda Devi peak. The Biosphere Reserve also is home to several thousand tribal residents, mainly ethnic Tibetans known as Bhotiya. In 1982, the area surrounding Nanda Devi was closed to all visitors, including locals, because of environmental degradation from tourism, and the area became a UN biosphere reserve in 1988. The livelihoods of the Bhotiya were traditionally dependent on the use of the biotic resources of the region, and the closure affected their livelihood activities. The Bhotiya now are struggling to regain control over the resources of the NDBR, which are currently under the control of the Indian government and the UN. This project seeks to understand how the Bhotiya perceive that the policies of the NDBR have affected their livelihoods and culture. The doctoral student also will try to understand the conflict in terms of how the policy makers' perceptions of nature, which drive the policies governing the NDBR, are different than the Bhotiya's perceptions. Data collection for this project involves using multiple sources. Villagers will be surveyed and will be asked to take photographs of "nature" with a disposable camera. The student will interview key agents, such as Bhotiya leaders and officials from the UN and Indian government. Documents produced by the Bhotiya, the UN, and the Indian government also will be collected. The data will be examined using a geographic information system (GIS) augmented by the recorded interviews, archival research, and analysis of photographic data. In addition to disseminating scholarly findings through academic channels (dissertation, conference papers, and research publications), the student will create a multimedia GIS database that makes publicly available the data collected in the field.
This project is significant on two different levels. Intellectually, it will further the conceptual link between political ecology and environmental justice. Both concepts acknowledge the role of structural forces as well as human agents in the struggle for control of natural resources. Dialogue between the two fields has been limited, however. The use of multimedia GIS with qualitative data sources will expand the definition of GIS. This research will provide an example of how these two seemingly oppositional methods can be combined in a useful manner to address complex questions regarding human-environment relationships. More broadly, this project will help the people of NDBR and other vulnerable populations by documenting and disseminating the effects and outcomes of global conservation policies while giving these people a chance to tell their story. As a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award, this award also will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong independent research career.
