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History Background |
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Dzongu is located in the North West of Sikkim. Established in early
1960s, this territory has been reserved for the Lepcha community and
borders the Khangchendzonga Biosphere Reserve.
Dzongu’s elevation ranges between 800m and 6,000m above sea level. The
area has panoramic views of Mount Khangchendzonga (8.585 m), the third
highest summit in the world, and has a particularly rich fauna and
flora that is endemic to the area.
The Lepcha people are the only residents of Dzongu, and are considered
the indigenous people of Sikkim. Of Buddhist culture but with their
own variations in practice and beliefs, the Lepcha of Dzongu have
generally lived in relative isolation, primarily dependent on
subsistence agriculture and the cultivation of native cardamom.
Unfortunately, over the past few years the price of cardamom has
fallen drastically. As a result of reduced incomes, younger Lepchas
have migrated to urban areas including the capital Gangtok, leaving an
increasingly elderly population in Dzongu. |
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Dzongu Ecotourism Project |
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The idea of the ecotourism project was born from the desire of a group
of Lepcha youth who had concerns for the upcoming younger generation
of Dzongu. They were keen to explore alternative opportunities for the
educated youth that would provide avenues for self-employment within
Dzongu and in the process help the Lepcha community to protect their
vanishing identity. The idea of ecotourism as a means of conservation
and economic development was further developed and supported by the
Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim (ECOSS).
To begin the work in Dzongu, partnerships were forged with NGOs, local
authorities and representatives of Dzongu. Several community
consultations and awareness and training programs were conducted for
the local residents. The extensive community mobilization process has
brought about some changes in the thinking of local people and
positioned them to conduct tourism that is locally operated and where
benefits can accrue to all levels of the community. |
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Results to Date |
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Today, the local people are more aware of ecotourism. Local young men
and women have been participated in training courses and remain a key
link between ECOSS and the community. Several tourist groups have
visited Dzongu and have returned with fond memories. However, more
work needs to be done to develop the ecotourism products of Dzongu. |
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Challenges |
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 Collaborative efforts are time consuming and take longer than top-down
approaches. Adequate funds are required to ensure that community
planning of ecotourism products and services continue and that local
people are empowered to take the project in the direction that they
wish. Local institutions need to be strengthened in order to carry out
the field implementation works and help the community obtain the
positive benefits of such interventions. Capacity building and
training gaps need to be identified and delivered. |
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BACK TO TOP |
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ECOSS, State Archives Annexe,Zero Point, Gangtok,Sikkim - 737101, India
Phone : 0091-3592 - 228211, 225182, 229154 ; Fax : 229183;
Email : ecoss@sikkiminfo.net |
