Training Communities and Forest Department in Himachal Pradesh, 2020

18 Nov, 2020

The HP-FES project organised training sessions on eco-sensitive tourism, cooking and homestays, birding, and solid waste management jointly with the Himachal Pradesh Forest Department in 2020.

Training Sessions on Eco-Sensitive Tourism

Eco-sensitive tourism is an important cultural ecosystem service that humans receive from forests. The HP-FES project has prioritised eco-sensitive tourism (using participatory approaches) as the most important ecosystem service at the two demonstration sites, namely Shangarh and Hamta of district Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. Various training programmes, including micro plans for empowering communities on sustainable eco-sensitive tourism potential at the sites, were conducted jointly by the HPFD and the HP-FES project during 2020.

©Hira Lal

Training on solid waste management (SWM) at Shangarh and Hamta, September 2020

A non-residential training on SWM was convened for 5 days for the communities, with the aim of highlighting the effective adoption of solid waste management practices. The training professionals invited were Ms. Mitali and Ms. Etosha Waste Warriors Organisation. This is an initial step towards providing health security for the locals and tourists and conservation of the forest ecosystem in future.

Training on Cooking and Homestays Management at Shangarh and Hamta, October 2020

©Hira Lal

Basic and advanced level trainings on cooking and homestays management for 24 days were organised for the communities of both the sites. Since, the project is centred around rural community household-based ecotourism, it is pertinent to train interested stakeholders as part of international level of hospitality and services.

Trainers from the Institute of Hotel Management, Kufri, were invited to highlight the importance of hospitality and tourism management, homestays amenities and services, cuisine and kitchen management, tourism products marketing and linkages etc. Insights on local cuisines, beverage-making, their presentation and provision of quality food services at all the ecotourism units were provided.

Online training on Birdwatching for the communities of Shangarh, November 2020

The project identified the importance of strengthening capacities of interested stakeholders as birdwatching guides so that they are able to provide effective services to nature travellers and are able to increase their economic potential in a way which is least invasive for the environment. Therefore, a training for 8 days was conducted for the communities and the training faculties included Dr. Justus Joshua (Wildlife scientist), Ms Suveena Thakur (DCF, HPFD), Dr. Jyoti Kashyap and Mr. Ritesh Sharma from GIZ. This training will initiate the progress for developing a monitoring database for the avi-faunal diversity, hence supporting the protected area management approach.

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About the project

The Himachal Pradesh Forest Ecosystem Services project aims to enable the Forest Department of Himachal Pradesh to introduce the Forest Ecosystem Services approach in the state’s forest management system to improve living conditions of the communities residing in 9 project demonstration sites of the state that are reached by the new FES methods. Read more

For more information contact: biodiv.india@giz.de