Uttarakhand Himalayas (CHR : Central Himalayan Region) have been, for ages, a symbol of natural beauty and splendour, of peace and spirituality, of loftiness and majesty. People from far and wide as pilgrims of divine, explorers of nature and adventurous mountaineers have been drawn to these Himalayas for centuries.

The Region with abounding natural resources has, since perpetuity served food, security, ecosystem service and energy needs of the nation. Yet its people, the timeless custodians of nature’s bounty have pursued sustenance under innumerable hardships, the limited access to and management of resources, bona fide needs as food, fodder, fuel, shelter, safe drinking water, irrigation, electricity, livelihood sustenance to name a few. Valuable human resource of the Region, though hard working and literate, voice aspirational change under prevailing paradigm and climate crises, against the outpouring migration to cities for sustainable pursuits. Women, the supporting pillar as household managers, agro-allied facilitators and guardians of natural resources bear the burden of every day toil under dwindling resources and human resource inadequacies. With subsistence becoming more pronounced, communities resonate as bearers of general apathy. They aspire for utmost attention and support for envisioning progressive sustainable future.

More than seven decades of development process, since Independence, has no doubt brought more engaging civic cooperation, roads, infrastructures, communication and created organisational structures to take care of various developmental works; however ground initiatives aspire more inclusive engagement with people, need base development models and processes for sustainable, equitable, sovereign and ecologically prospering future.

Focus Area of Work

• 1. The institution has primary focus for vulnerable sections of society. Covering women, children, youth, marginal farmers, Schedule Tribes and Scheduled Cast population in the hilly areas of the state.
• 2. Promoting sustained farm and off-farm endeavours from farms and commons through nature based solutions, native wisdoms, technological, entrepreneurial and regional inclusive convergence.
• 3. Responding, advocating and promoting unified activism within communities into institutional frameworks for pursuing collective self-reliance, good governance, action and public partnership.
• 4. Promoting Biodiversity prosperity & ecosystem services. Facilitating communities in sustaining vital habitats through capacity building, conservation, propagation of precious, diminishing & endemic biotic wealth.
• 5. Facilitating holistic wellbeing by empowering Communities, Women, Children & youths to promote Food sovereignty, Climate resilience, sustained livelihoods, value education, enriched health, climate actions and humanitarian.
• 6. Engaging in study, documentation, research and field work of direct/ indirect significance to mountain communities and the ecology.
• 7. Strengthening institutional capacities and grass root engagement by integration with governments, Public intuitions, civil societies, experts, CBOs, national and international agencies.

UYRDC resource settings

The Institution is nestled in Narayanbagar Development Block of district Chamoli, by the banks of river Pinder (tributary of River Ganga) at an altitude of 1054 mtrs (MSL), within warm-temperate climate endowing rich Himalayan diversity.

• ● Institution Training Facility :
  Residential capacity of 50 individuals with 2 training halls accommodating 100+ persons each at a time. An established ICT setup, training tools, expert’s guidance for augmenting training programs. Details under “Our training facility section”
• ● Demonstration and Field Resource initatives :
  Resource centre incorporates capacity building, technology transfer, facility utility and community post-harvest centre under sustainable environment and livelihoods needs, such as :
  • ● Agro-ecology and Natural Farming.
  • ● Animal husbandry, Apiary and Off-farm endeavours,
  • ● Animal husbandry and Off-farm endeavours
  • ● Forest governance, Non Timber Forest Produce and sustainable management
  • ● Ecology restoration and exchange learnings
  • ● Collective empowerment, Enterprise development and post-harvest management
  • ● Multifaceted technology integration for diverse agronomic endeavour.
• ● Sustaining a Rural School for inculcating quality learning :
  The school established by UYRDC in 1986 as Uttaranchal Vidya Niketan, promotes formal quality learning up till secondary grades. The initiative brought through voluntary selfless service of energetic youth and donation of land by community of Pinder Valley. This rural school is voluntarily managed, sustainably.