Situating Culture in Sustainable Development Discourse: Reflections in the Context of the Himalayas

“Culture” and “development” are two concepts in social and behavioural sciences that have always eluded exact and universally agreed definitions. At the same time, the interrelationships between these two constructions have gained significance in recent years, and discussions about culture in, for, and as development abound. This chapter is based on the basic idea that unless the paradigm behind an intervention is consistent with the history, values, and beliefs of a specific community, it will be ineffective. It eventually concludes that in the context of the Himalayas, the diversity of cultural expressions and assets must be documented, preserved, and promoted; a cultural perspective should inform all developmental aspects (livelihoods, industries, housing, social and environmental policies); and, in the long run, efforts must be made to engender broader transformations towards more holistically sustainable mountain societies through increased awareness and capacity. This chapter begins with a summary of the complicated implications of the terms “development” and “culture,” presents and analysis of significant discourses around their relationships, and identifies essential imperatives for implementing a culture-resonant developmental paradigm. The next section presents the backdrop of the Himalayas and then briefly describes two illustrations of culture-resonant development initiatives in the Himalayan state of Himachal Pradesh, the first one is an example of a product-based initiative and the second one exemplifies a service-based enterprise. The final section lists key imperatives for putting Himalayas on a culturally-driven and culturally-concordant developmental trajectory.