The Great Himalayan National Park: The Struggle To Save The Western Himalyas

An officer of the Indian Forest Service (1982 batch), Sanjeeva Pandey has served as Director of GHNP from 1998 to 2006, where he engaged himself in biodiversity conservation through livelihood-based natural resource management. His efforts with Friends of GHNP have resulted in inscription of GHNP Conservation Area as a World Heritage Site in Doha, the State of Qatar, in June 2014. Sanjeeva has travelled to many countries and contributed to numerous training manuals, written peer reviewed papers, newspaper and journal and electronic media articles and formulated project proposals throughout his professional career. Anthony (Tony) Gaston has studied Indian wildlife, especially birds, since 1969, including research for his PhD (at Oxford University) around Delhi and in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, the Narmada Valley and Kerala. He headed the initial 1980 and 1983 Himachal Wildlife Project, consisting of international teams of scientists, who surveyed Himalayan front-range ecosystems throughout Himachal Pradesh and recommended the creation of GHNP in its present location. Subsequently, he played a major role in supporting GHNP and was involved in developing the application for World Heritage status. He has trekked extensively in the Park and throughout the Western Himalayas and considers Himachal to be his spiritual home.