Grazing Management in National Parks and Protected Areas

The formulation of natural resource management policygenerally involves science, socio-economic environment andlegal framework. The thrust of the management policy is toderive maximum benefits from the natural resources while atthe same time ensuring that the ecological integrity is notcompromised. The basic scientific process elements such asecological stability, resistance levels, resilience, restoration,enhancement, and carrying capacity have been discussed inrelation to livestock grazing. These processes determine thesustainability of the pastures under use.The socio-economic environment under which a policy isframed and implemented has a direct bearing on theeffectiveness of the policy. Besides formal laws, importantelements that have influence on the use, access andsustainability of pastures are social structure, the role of thelivestock in the socio-economic development, socialorganizational capability, flow of physical and social energywithin and outside the communities, hierarchical structure ofthe communities, and patron-client relationship. Therefore, itbecomes difficult for most of the formal laws to change therelationships relating to resource use and access patternsamong the communities once such relationships areembedded in the social structure.