Editing Nanda Devi (section)

==Recent history and conservation==
[[File:The folk characters of Latu and Lati during the mask dance festival in lata village, nanda devi national park in indian himalayas.jpg|alt=Mask Dance Festival in Lata village on the periphery of Nanda Devi National Park|thumb|Mask Dance in lata village, the gateway to Nanda Devi National Park]]
After the re-opening of the sanctuary in 1974 to foreign climbers, trekkers and locals, the fragile ecosystem was soon compromised by firewood cutting, littering and grazing. Serious environmental problems were noted as early as 1977, and the sanctuary was closed again in 1983.<ref name="world_mountaineering"/> Currently, Nanda Devi forms the core of the Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve (which includes [[Nanda Devi National Park]]), declared by the Indian government in 1982. In 1988, Nanda Devi National Park was declared a UNESCO [[World Heritage Site]], "of outstanding [[cultural heritage|cultural]] or [[natural heritage|natural]] importance to the common heritage of [[humankind]]."<ref name="unesco">[https://whc.unesco.org/pg.cfm?cid=31&id_site=335 Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks – UNESCO World Heritage Centre<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> The entire sanctuary, and hence the main summit (and interior approaches to the nearby peaks), are off-limits to locals and to climbing expeditions, although a one-time exception was made in 1993 for a 40-member team from the [[Indian Army Corps of Engineers]] to check the state of recovery and to remove garbage left by prior expeditions.<ref name="sanan"/> Sunanda Devi remains open from the east side, leading to the standard south ridge route. After a sustained campaign by the local community as reflected in the Nanda Devi Declaration<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://lib.icimod.org/record/20725/files/c_attachment_18_42.pdf|title=Nanda Devi Bio Diversity Conservation and Ecotourism Declaration|date=14 October 2001|website=icimod.org/|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref> of 2001, the core zone of the Nanda Devi was opened for limited eco-tourism activity in 2003. In 2006, the campaign invited women trekkers from 4 countries during the inaugural trek inside the National Park. As a follow-up, the Campaign for Cultural Survival and Sustainable Livelihoods has now designed an Interpretive Trek to the Nanda Devi National Park.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/nanda-devi-opens-door/story-4r9KOtcbw6tqQ6FNym0H4H.html|title=Nanda Devi opens door|last=Misra|first=Neelesh|date=15 September 2006|work=Hindustan Times|access-date=22 December 2018}}</ref> An Interpretation Centre on Bio Cultural Diversity of the Nanda Devi National Park is under development in the village of Lata, the gateway to the Nanda Devi National Park. A maximum number of 500 trekkers are now allowed to enter the core zone until Dharansi between May and October. The trek to Nanda Devi National Park starts from the village of Lata, located 25 kilometres upstream from the town of Joshimath on Niti-Malari highway.