Land-Use/Cover Changes in the Kewer Gadhera Sub-Watershed, Central Himalaya - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 306

Table 12.3. Land-Cover Changes between 1971* and 2010** (Percentage of Geographical Area).

Village name Total

area

Community
Forestland

Agricultural land Others 1

Irrigated Un-irrigated Total
Kewer Talla -2.81 -100 -4.39 4.60 1.19 7.79
Kewer Malla -4.42 -100 No Change No Change 4.05 1.63
Bhagoti 4.5 77.14 No Change No Change 55 -39.40
Ratni 0.53 100 No Change No Change 1.58 -10.6
Keshwan -49 No Change No Change No Change -41.18 92.30
Gadseer 10 70.70 No Change No Change -7.24 2.05
Bunga 15.53 394.95 No Change No Change -4.36 -76.06
Jhijodi -20.58 -66.32 No Change No Change 97.95 -15.69
Ali -3.47 1405.33 2.27 -2.28 3.58 -86.09
Leguna 35.71 157.96 11.94 -11.6 -36.45 -6.05
Bedula -0.83 425.66 2.77 -2.78 2.48 -44.48
Chirona 0.74 50.43 No Change No Change 1.23 -75.20
Kaub -1.29 149.31 No Change No Change 4.48 -28.99
Naini -0.87 -0.82 No Change No Change -7.90 9.93
Swan Malla 135 -63.13 No Change No Change -31.22 47.16
Swan Talla 3.36 136.88 No Change No Change 1.24 -26.13
Kimoli 2.43 13.12 -66.66 200.03 -64.55 -648.44
Total - 0.47 69.72 - 23.3 28.09 - 12.53 - 4.10
Source: Data were gathered from the secondary sources; the Census of India 1971* and the
Patwari Circle 2010**, Narain Bagar, District Chamoli and calculated by the author.
1

Other category of land use includes land under fruit plants, barren land, community
grassland, and cultivable wasteland.

Drivers of Land-Use/Cover Change

People's participation in forest management

Local people's participation in both decision-making processes and the
implementation of management plans is crucial for sustainable forest
management. In this region, the involvement of the local people was
achieved in many areas. Extensive community grasslands and fodder
trees are managed by the local people themselves and they also support
the government forest department. During the 1980s, the popular “ Chipko
Movement” (hugging trees against illegal felling) was launched by the
local people in Uttarakhand and that movement spread throughout the
Himalayan region. The people were able to protect the forest of the region
from the hands of the contractors appointed by the Forest Department
for mass cutting of trees. This movement had multiple impacts on the
conservation of forest and on the local people. The forest cover increased