Ranthambhore Sanctuary: Dilemma of ECO-Development

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National Parks and Sanctuaries are prominent components of protected areas and important part of broader eco-development strategies. These protected areas have critical impact at the local level. Social, Economic, Political and Cultural specifications of the communities in and around national parks are undermined and a large number of local people have been expelled from their abode without being provided with alternatives. This situation has created arena of conflict between the local people and national parks contributing substantially to the process of alienation for the poorer sections of the society making their survival more difficult.

The book is an outcome of a research project sponsored by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, New Delhi under Man and Biosphere Programme. The book contains five chapters dealing with dilemma of eco- development of Ranthambhore National Park of Rajasthan.

The book would be an invaluable reference for planners, scholars, environ-mentalists and conservation strategists.

Professor H. S. Sharma (b. 1945) holds post- graduate and doctoral degrees in geography from the University of Saugar, Madhya Pradesh.

Dr. Sharma is a widely travelled geographer across U.K, Germany, Holland, Canada and Norway and has over seventy papers and a dozen books to his credit. Professor Sharma has supervised nearly two dozen Ph.D.'s on geomorphology, environmental studies, desertification, soil erosion, ecological aspects and sustainable development.

Professor Sharma has successfully conducted several research projects sponsored by U.G.C., Ministry of Environment and Forests, New Delhi, DRDO and NORAD, Norway. Founder Member of many national and international bodies and associations' Professor Sharma has made a significant contribution to the development of geomorphology and environmental studies in India.

Recipient of U.G.C., Career Award in 1979, Dr. Sharma is a Professor of Geography and Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Human Ecology, Environment and Population studies, University of Rajasthan, Jaipur.

IN recent times the future of the global system is one of the most important issues of the world. To save the planet and its ecosystem has become the global concern of every responsible citizen of the world. It is said that the economic growth and development will be useless if the environ- ment in which we survive collapses. Human beings, who are the largest and the most developed species of the earth, can be held responsible for the selfish destruction of the environment and the habitat of the other species. Human beings know that their survival depends on the upkeep of nature. Thus, in spite of all human hostilities towards nature, man has always tried to protect nature. The creation of sanctuaries and national parks is an evidence of this. The idea of national parks was to protect the ecosystems of the world for future generations and to conserve the various species of flora and fauna.

The present project aims to study the eco-perceptions of Ranthambhore Sanctuary focussing mainly on the impact of sanctuary on the socio-economic conditions of the local inhabitants and their perception of the idea of the sanctuary.

The present project was assigned to me by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, New Delhi under the Man and Biosphere Programme. I owe my sincere sense of gratitude to the Ministry for providing the financial support for the project.

The idea of undertaking the project was initially conceived by Dr. Vasumati Shankaran of IIPA, New Delhi. I express my sincere thanks to her for assisting me in the formulation of this project. I was supported by my research team during the entire duration consisting of Mr. Rahul Saxena, Dr. Narendra Yadav, Mr. Tej Ram Meena and Mr. Davendra Singh.

**Contents and Sample Pages**