Integrated Rural Planning & Development
Focusing on Community Based Tourism
2009 Exploration Seminar in the Indian Himalayas
Program Director: Manish Chalana, Ph.D ~ Urban Design & Planning
Dates of Instruction: August 30 - September 21, 2009
The India-Himalaya program would focus on integrated community planning and development in the Kumaon region of Uttrakhand state. The first half of the program is based in Sonapani where students will interact with the various institutions and organizations in the lower Himalayan areas to understand a variety of approaches used in integrated rural development work. This would be achieved by interacting with communities and the organizations & institutes through day trips/hikes, field seminars and workshops.
After becoming familiar with the different approaches to rural development the class will shift base to the village of Sarmoli in the upper Himalaya. Here students will participate in the community based tourism program that Sarmoli has created in which several households participate through the homestay program administered by the Village Council. This is  in response to the growing tourism that is emerging as a powerful new force, and promises to bring economic benefits to the communities, but at the same time, threatens existing cultural and ecological patterns of the region. Students will have an opportunity to understand the specifics of this program and explore ways in which the current model could be expanded to other villages, and also include micro finance and cultural heritage preservation. Students will engage in a 5-day hike to remote villages around Sarmoli to assess the portability of the Sarmoli model. The final projects would build on work produced by the 2008 Exploration Seminar, and address the themes of the class. The results will be presented to the community at the conclusion of the seminar. Fieldwork will rely on rapid rural assessment techniques including survey, interviews and focus groups. The work would be carried out in small teams of 4 members each; field translator would be available as needed.
 In Sonapani students will be housed in cottages on a shared basis in the Himalayan Village (www.himalayanvillage.com). In the second leg students will experience home stays in Satoli village where they will live in homes Students should be prepared for a 5 day round trip hike averaging about 10 miles and 1000 feet elevation change per day. During this moderately strenuous hike there will be minimal facilities and services. Students should prepare for a rural and remote travel experience. All meals (except those in Delhi) are included in the program cost.
The program is especially relevant for students interested in architecture, community environment & planning, landscape architecture, planning, public policy, social entrepreneurship, cultural anthropology, geography, rural sociology, social work, microfinance, and international planning and development especially in the South Asia context.
 Participants can earn 5 credits of URBDP 498 (UrbanDesign and Planning Special Topics), LARCH 495 (Landscape Architecture Study Abroad). The course will count toward the Community Environment and Planning (CEP) Diversity credits 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:
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