10. Indigenous Knowledge System and Livelihood Option of Natives of Lahaul and Spiti District, Himachal Pradesh

Indigenous knowledge system (IKS) is a knowledge system developed and adapted by any particular communities in a changing environment condition and generally passed from one generation to next. The current study aims to catalogue the IKS of the tribal people dwelling in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh. The study was conducted from July, 2015, to December, 2019, in the region. Aspects such as use of bioresources and its bioprospecting, land and soil management, water conservation and management were assessed for the indigenous knowledge system. Documentation of around 98 medicinal plants, 14 species bioprospecting, 20 traditional food and beverages, unique traditional architecture, resource utilization pattern, agricultural practices, and their livelihood were done from the region. The region remained cut off from the outer world for around 5–6 months during winter. Due to the remoteness of the region, people residing in the area also had a limited options for their livelihood. But, recent opening of the Atal Tunnel connecting outer world to the region throughout the year has brought some unprecedented changes to the culture, economy, and tourism sector. Therefore, documentation of such valuable IKS is essential to strengthening the residing communities for sustainable development in the future.