Abstract: Tourism industry has become an
important part of Indian economy, and tourism
development has been, however, concentrated to a
few areas. Accumulation of tourism activities has
reached the critical stage in most of the tourism
centers, which pose serious threats to the natural
environment. The Bhyundar Valley of Nanda Devi
Biosphere Reserve (NDBR) in Uttarakhand State of
the Indian Himalaya is a burning example of such
problems. Land use/cover changes, deforestation and
accumulation of garbage are some of the negative
impacts of unregulated tourism in the valley.
Unsustainable activities of tourists and villagers in the
valley make such problems very severe. To deal with
the ongoing problems and ensure community
involvement in tourism management and
environmental conservation, the Biosphere Reserve
Authority introduced ecotourism in the form of Eco
Development Committees (EDCs) in the Bhyundar
Valley. Study reveals that many problems associated
with tourism have been minimized to some extent
with the help of EDCs but few are still prevailing in
valley. However, the existing attempts to conserve the
valley from the negative effects of tourism are
inadequate and modifications are needed in the
current initiatives.