PLANNING FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF LEH DISTRICT OF JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Abstract

are a source of such key resources as minerals, forest products and agricultural products and of recreation. As a major ecosystem representing the complex and interrelated ecology of our planet, mountain environments are essential to the survival of the global ecosystem. Mountain ecosystems are, however, rapidly changing. They are susceptible to accelerated soil erosion, landslides and rapid loss of habitat and genetic diversity. Ladakh ("land of high passes") is a region in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir that currently extends from the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram range to the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and its culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet. Ladakh is renowned for its remote mountain beauty and culture. Leh district is one of the largest districts of the country in terms of area, it has the lowest population density across the entire country. The level of urbanization is highly increasing in Leh mainly because of its tourism. There is need to adopt a holistic strategy in order to increase the level of urbanization in terms of education, banking, tourism, health, industry, recreation, urban mobility, employment opportunities and communication etc. The regional development should be done for the district in a strategic manner so that sustainability can be maintained. It is of utmost important to preserve the ecology and resources as it is one of the prime tourist locations in India.