Mountain Technology Agenda : Status, Gaps and Possibilities : Developing Appropriate Technologies for Sustainable Livelihoods in Mountain and Hilly Areas

Contents: Foreword. Preface. I. Introduction: Mountain development: future vision/Anil P. Joshi and Sunil K. Agarwal. II. Cross Cutting Issues and Case Studies: A. Promoting Agro Horticulture for Livelihood Security: 1. Institutional challenges for mountain agricultural development with natural resource management in Uttaranchal/Narendra Kumar. 2. Technological interventions for enhancing agricultural productivity in mountain eco-systems of North-West Himalayas/H.S. Gupta and S. Kundu. 3. The present status, gaps and possibilities of horticulture and post harvest technologies in the Himalayan States of India/Susanta K. Roy. 4. Appropriate technologies for hill farmers/Mukesh Joshi, Deepa Bisht, D.S. Rawat and L.M.S. Palni. 5. Sustenance of crop diversity and nutritional security/S.R. Thakur. 6. Conserving traditional food plants for nutritional and livelihood security/Padma Vasudevan, Seema Mishra, Jigyasa Gupta and Satyawati Sharma. 7. Farm based appropriate technologies for capacity building of mountain farmers and rural women: a case study from Sikkim Himalaya/K.K. Singh, A.P. Krishna, L.K. Rai and Y.K. Rai. 8. HESCO's initiative in horticultural processing and value addition: spread effect in Uttaranchal through a network of NGOS/Anil P. Joshi. B. Technology and Sustainable Development: Emerging Issues: 1. Building on traditional technologies for sustainable mountain development/K.G. Saxena, K.S. Rao and R.K. Maikhuri. 2. Technology on the move in the Himalayan region: from empowerment to sustainable livelihoods/Sunil K. Agarwal and Anil P. Joshi. 3. Mountain technology in Uttaranchal: the possibilities/P.C. Joshi. 4. Sustainable development of mountainous regions for innovations and technology transfer/Lal Singh. 5. Bio-tourism: sustainable developmental option for the mountain communities/S.D. Kashyap and K.K. Raina. C. Improving Natural Resource Management: 1. Sustainable mountain agriculture and rural livelihoods through participatory watershed development-lessons from Doon Valley/K.K. Raina, Keith Virgo and John Roe. 2. Water resource management in the Central Himalaya: a case study/R.K. Maikhuri and K.S. Rao. 3. Traditional knowledge and management of natural resources in the Aravali Hills around Khetri Block, Distt. Jhunjhunu (Raj.)/P.K. Bhatnagar. D. Supporting Biodiversity Conservation and Value Addition: 1. Conceptual and policy implication for biodiversity valuation in mountain areas/K.K. Raina and S.D. Kashyap. 2. Biodiversity in cold deserts of Western Himalayas: issues and interventions/K.S. Kapoor. 3. Herbal wealth of Uttaranchal: potential and prospects/Uppeandra Dhar. 4. Herbal medicines-relevance to mountain development/N.S. Chauhan. 5. Low-tech agro-technologies in Hilly areas: an attempt to convert R & D leads into technologies/M.K. Kaul, S.K. Bakshi and G.N. Qazi. 6. Opportunities for cultivation and processing of economic plants in Uttaranchal, India/D.K. Mishra. 7. Lantana: whose weed anyway! developing strategic directions for integrated utilization and control/Sudhender Sharma. 8. Parthenium: a deadly exotic weed/Richa Joshi and Anil P. Joshi. 9. Enterprise based conservation: a case study on orchid cultivation from Arunachal Pradesh, Eastern Himalaya/Sudipto Chatterjee, Rajeev Semwal and Pijush Kumar Dutta. E. Towards Integrated Development for Rural Transformation: 1. Rural resource centres: need for their establishment for enhancing livelihood opportunities and ecological health in the mountains/Lok Man S. Palni, Dewan S. Rawat and Mukesh Joshi. 2. Integrated development of village Dudhai through science and technology intervention/D. Raghunandan. 3. Koti: a developed village/Rakesh Kumar and R. Dobhal. F. Strengthening Animal Husbandry Activities: 1. Strategies for high altitude fisheries development to generate employment/P.V. Dehadrai. 2. Livestock rearing and veterinary care with value addition in mountain and Hilly areas/S.B. Gokhale. G. Gender Sensitive Developmental Approach and Communication Needs: 1. U-probe: blending of mountain meteorology and information technology for school in Uttaranchal/Malti Goel, Sanjay S. Gahlout and Deepak Goel. 2. Bachcho ka akhbar: a tool for resource awareness in children of hills/Sudha Sharma. 3. Women technology park: integrated approach for empowerment of hill women/Kiran Rawat. III. Technology Choice: 1. Promoting sustainable agriculture. 2. Agro-processing and value addition. 3. Natural resource management. 4. Balancing forest use and conservation. 5. Cultivation and processing of economic plants. 6. Sustainable technologies for water resource management. 7. Sustainable technologies for harnessing and conserving renewable energy. 8. Animal husbandry. 9. Water purification and waste management. 10. Construction technology and disaster management. 11. Small scale micro-enterprises. IV. Recommendations: 1. Mountain technology agenda: essential characteristics for success and better outreach.

"Mountains are a source of clean water, glaciers, rivers and streams. They also render air, forest and soil, etc. Mountain Technology Agenda : Status, Gaps and Possibilities analyses the role technology plays in developmental process for managing resources and enhancing livelihoods of communities in mountain areas.

This work by eminent scientists, engineers and activists highlights the endeavours that have impacted on people. It highlights work of selected S&T institutions, R&D labs and field-based agencies in the area of natural resource management, energy, agriculture, water management and integrated village development. It provides practical solutions and lessons from case studies and developmental projects.

The introductory section provides an overview of the need for mountain development and creation of sustainable livelihoods through appropriate technological interventions. The next section draws extensively on highly relevant case studies focusing on innovative approaches for establishing and sustaining participation, good strategies for adoptive R&D and challenges for development. Third section captures some of the technologies / technology packages developed and appropriated as per location specific needs by S&T institutions and developmental field groups having relevance for creation of sustainable livelihoods and development in mountain areas.

This book will serve planners, policy makers and members of the civil society. It will initiative partnerships among different stakeholders for socially responsible and environmentally sustainable development through available green technological options as well as further refinement, development and upgradation of technologies and approaches. This is essential reading for all those involved with natural resource management, environmental studies, biodiversity, community development and technology based developmental work." (jacket)