The book will be of great value for sociologists, planners, politicians, researchers, students and social workers.

Inspirational stories of Swama Rama's experiences and lessons learned with the great teachers who guided his life including Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore, and more.

Sacred Natural Sites are the world's oldest protected places. This book focuses on a wide spread of both iconic and lesser known examples such as sacred groves of the Western Ghats (India), Sagarmatha /Chomolongma (Mt Everest, Nepal, Tibet - and China), the Golden Mountains of Altai (Russia), Holy Island of Lindisfarne (UK) and the sacred lakes of the Niger Delta (Nigeria). The book illustrates that sacred natural sites, although often under threat, exist within and outside formally recognised protected areas, heritage sites. Sacred natural sites may well be some of the last strongholds for building resilient networks of connected landscapes. They also form important nodes for maintaining a dynamic socio-cultural fabric in the face of global change. The diverse authors bridge the gap between approaches to the conservation of cultural and biological diversity by taking into account cultural and spiritual values together with the socio-economic interests of the custodian communities and other relevant stakeholders.

Where Mortals And The Mountain Gods Meet Brings Together A Group Od Scholars From Different Disciplines Such As Art, Music, Religion, History, Economics And Pure Sciences To Present A Variety Of Approaches To The Study Of Mountain Societies. It Examines The Importance Of The Himalayan Snow For The Perennial Rivers; Its Rich And Diversified Plant Biodiversity And Forest Wealth; The Economy And Society Including The Pastoralist Communities; Architectural, Sculpture And Epigraphical Treasures; The Traditional System Of Knowledge And Its Celebrity At The Village Level And Many More Interesting Topics. It Includes Twenty-Four Contributions Covering A Large Span Of Himachal`S Cultural Past From Early Times To The Recent Period. It Will Interest Every Scholar Of Ancient, Medieval And Modern Himalayan Studies.

Volume 1 : Ecotourism And Travelogues : The First Volume Of This Book Introduces The Reader To Mountaineering In The Snow-Capped Peaks Like Everest, Nanda Deve, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat, Etc. Indeed, It Is A Thrilling Subject. Tourist Places In Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir And Uttarakhand Include Mainly The Buddhist And Hindu Religious Shrines, Besides The Other Places. Volume 2 : Glaciers And Watershed : The Second Volume Of This Book Deals With The Inclement Weather And Other Climatic Conditions Of The Mountainous Regions, Including Snowfall, Rainfall, Glaciers, Eco-System, And River Systems Of Nepal, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh And Assam, Etc.

This book describes the myriad components of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) region. The contributors elaborate on challenges, failures, and successes in efforts to conserve the HKH, its indigenous plants and animals, and the watershed that runs from the very roof of the planet via world-rivers to marine estuaries, supporting a human population of some two billion people. Readers will learn how the landforms, animal species and humans of this globally fascinating region are connected, and understand why runoff from snow and ice in the world’s tallest mountains is vital to inhabitants far downstream. The book comprises forty-five chapters organized in five parts. The first section, Landscapes, introduces the mountainous watersheds of the HKH, its weather systems, forests, and the 18 major rivers whose headwaters are here. The second part explores concepts, cultures, and religions, including ethnobiology and indigenous regimes, two thousand years of religious tradition, and the history of scientific and research expeditions. Part Three discusses policy, wildlife conservation management, habitat and biodiversity data, as well as the interaction of animals and humans. The fourth part examines the consequences of development and globalization, from hydrodams, to roads and railroads, to poaching and illegal wildlife trade. This section includes studies of animal species including river dolphins, woodpeckers and hornbills, langurs, snow leopards and more. The concluding section offers perspectives and templates for conservation, sustainability and stability in the HKH, including citizen-science projects and a future challenged by climate change, growing human population, and global conservation decay. A large assemblage of field and landscape photos, combined with eye-witness accounts, presents a 50-year local and wider perspective on the HKH. Also included are advanced digital topics: data sharing, open access, metadata, web portal databases, geographic information systems (GIS) software and machine learning, and data mining concepts all relevant to a modern scientific understanding and sustainable management of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region. This work is written for scholars, landscape ecologists, naturalists and researchers alike, and it can be especially well-suited for those readers who want to learn in a more holistic fashion about the latest conservation issues.

Stanley Stevens brings new ecological and historical perspectives to his study of a subsistence society in ever-increasing contact with the outside world. The Sherpas of the Mount Everest region, famous for their mountaineering exploits, have frequently been depicted as victims of the world`s highest-altitude tourist boom. But have the Sherpas and their homeland been transformed by tourism? He is the first to analyze the complex interaction of local environmental knowledge, cultural beliefs, and socio-economic and political conditions in changing sherpas subsistence strategies, land use practices, and local resources management institutions. Claiming the High ground is must reading for all those interested peoples and concerned about the conservation of the earth`s high places.

IUCN's Protected Areas Management Categories, which classify protected areas according to their management objectives, are today accepted as the benchmark for defining, recording, and classifying protected areas. They are recognized by international bodies such as the United Nations as well as many national governments. As a result, they are increasingly being incorporated into government legislation. These guidelines provide as much clarity as possible regarding the meaning and application of the Categories. They describe the definition of the Categories and discuss application in particular biomes and management approaches.