Rural Community Development and Public Health in the Kumaon Himalaya
2008 Exploration Seminar in the Indian Himalayas

**THIS PROGRAM IS FULL AND NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS**

Program Director: Manish Chalana, Ph.D ~ Urban Planning
Co-Instructors: Daniel Carlson, Senior Lecturer, Evans School of Public Affairs Sheri Reder, PhD – School of Public Health and Community Medicine Eric Noll, Built Environment, College of Architecture and Planning

Dates of Instruction: August 24 - September 22, 2008

The program will focus on rural community planning and development and public health in the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (NDBS) of the Indian Himalayas. NDBS is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising two national parks (Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers) and a large buffer zone, which is home to numerous villages of the Bhotiya people. Nanda Devi is the second highest peak in India (almost twice as tall as Mt. Rainier) and the Bhotiyas’ patron goddess. For centuries the communities had maintained their traditional economic mainstays of subsistence farming, forest extraction, livestock grazing, and trade with Tibet. The last of these was interrupted by the Sino-Indian War in 1962, while the remainder has been strongly impacted by the creation of the biosphere.
More recently, tourism has emerged as a powerful new force, which promises to bring economic benefits to the communities, but at the same time threatens the cultural and ecological patterns that make the place unique. This exploration seminar will take students to the Johar Valley of the Nanda Devi buffer zone, to understand the region’s characteristics and the issues it is facing as a result of recent developments (including public health and those arising from recent tourism). The students will get an opportunity to explore how sustainable community development based on eco-tourism can shape the future of the region.

During the spring quarter 2008, students will be required to attend a preparatory seminar where they will review literature pertaining to the site and their focus of study. The seminar will meet every other week for two hours at a time. Students will work in teams with others who share their main focus whether it be community participation, sustainable development, built environment, historic preservation, ecology and landscape and public health.

The first part of the seminar will be in based in Sonapani where students will familiarize themselves with the larger region through a series of field seminars and day trips/hikes led by the instructor and local experts. Students will divide into teams and complete assignments in adjacent villages involving survey, fieldwork, and interviews focusing on the team’s topic of interest. The team focusing on public health would work with a local NGO on those issues.

The second part of the seminar will entail a backcountry, moderately strenuous hike to explore two high altitude villages of the NDBS zone using similar methods as in the base village. The final projects will provide an assessment of the area with regard to sustainable community development and health issues for the indigenous population and for tourists. The results of this work will be presented to the community in an on-site public meeting.

Students will be housed in cottages on a shared basis in the Himalayan Village (www.himalayanvillage.com) at Sonapani during the first leg of the travel. In the second leg students will experience home stays in high altitude villages and stay in group tents en route to them. Students should be prepared for a 7 day round trip hike averaging about 15 miles and 1000 feet elevation change per day. During this time there will be minimal facilities and services.

All meals (except those in Delhi) are included in the program cost.

Participants can earn 5 credits of URBDP 498 (Urban Design and Planning Special Topics), LARCH 495 (Landscape Architecture Study Abroad) or CHID 471 Asia Study Abroad (I&S). The course will count toward the Community Environment and Planning (CEP) diversity credit requirements. With additional requirements it may quality for the Preservation Studio for the Historic Preservation Planning Certificate program. Participants should check with their advisers to determine how these credits can count towards departmental requirements.

More course information is available here: http://courses.washington.edu/kumaon/

Student costs:  
$2,800
$200 IPE Fee
Additional costs include: RT airfare to India, some meals, immunizations, visa, and personal spending money.

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