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Abstract
The existing network of Protected Areas (PAs) in India is the major effort aimed at biodiversity conservation at the national level. The sustainability of PAs is heavily influenced by local people who are largely dependent on natural resources (fuel, fodder, minor forest products) for their livelihood. While all PAs are surrounded by historically resource-dependent communities, several of them have villages within their core areas, too. This has necessitated an alternative approach to natural resource management which aims to integrate the interests of conservation with those of the nearby resource dependent communities. The case of the Great Himalayan National Park illustrates and incorporates the lessons from Integrated Conservation and Development Projects (ICDPs) implemented elsewhere in the world.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]