Indian rural populations greatly depend on natural resources for meeting various biomass needs, especially in geographically difficult areas like Himalayas. A number of external interventions in the form of expansion of commercial fuels, afforestation, harvesting renewable energy sources, dissemination of fuel saving devices, etc. have been introduced to attain sustainability in meeting the energy demands. But major focus remains on inherent potential of the biomass system to produce various biomasses and meet fuel and fodder demands.
Present study analyzed biomass scenario in 25 villages in the Central Himalayas, identified issues in biomass planning, evolved methodologies for biomass estimation, computed end-use-wise stress and devised biomass management methodology. Possibilities of attaining sustainability in meeting fuelwood and fodder demands were reviewed based on the data from ten villages and the methodology has been detailed by taking a case of Nauli village. The methodology also suggests the ways by which a biomass planning may be integrated to non-biomass resources, technologies and schemes.
