Essential Oils from the Alpine Areas of the Humla

by Appropriate Technology International

What's at Stake

The mountainous region of Humla lies between the Western and Eastern Himalayas straddling two distinct botanical regions and making it extraordinarily rich in plants -- many of which contain aromatic essential oils or are valued for their medicinal properties. Humla's natural bounty make it susceptible to over-harvesting of plants used by perfume and cosmetic manufacturers, as well as the usual Nepalese problems such as serious overgrazing and wood and fodder collection.

The intent of this project is to alleviate the need to harvest as much raw product by adding value to a smaller sustainable harvest. By selling a processed product, the community participants can make more money and keep the revenues in the local communities. Project partners and local people collaborated to establish two essential oil distillation factories. Locals harvest roots from nearby alpine meadows, process it into oil and operate and maintain the processing equipment.

The project also works with villagers to help them gain more control over the resources that they collect from government-owned lands. The goal is to broaden the Humla District Forest Office's acceptance of community-based management of local natural resources and currently this process appears well under way. The project places a strong emphasis on women's groups and establishing mechanisms to allow communities to keep larger portions of the taxes levied on non-timber forest products.

	1997 Update
Successes and Challenges
"OK...So What?"

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