Sustainable Tourism And Integrated Infrastructure Planning For Ziro Valley, Arunachal Pradesh

Abstract

Ziro Valley in Lower Subansiri District of Arunachal Pradesh is a culturally significant and ecologically sensitive valley known for the Apatani community, traditional paddy-cum-fish cultivation, bamboo-pine landscapes, village settlement patterns and emerging tourism activity. The valley represents a living cultural landscape where agriculture, water systems, forests, settlements, festivals, craft traditions and community-based practices are closely connected. In recent years, tourism growth, urban expansion, changing building materials, pressure on water supply, inadequate waste management and road-side congestion have started affecting the environmental quality, heritage character and everyday infrastructure of the valley. Therefore, this thesis examines sustainable tourism and integrated infrastructure planning for Ziro Valley with the aim of developing a planning framework that can support tourism growth without damaging the ecological and cultural foundations of the area. The study follows a mixed-method approach based on secondary data, literature review, government records, GIS-based mapping, satellite imagery, LULC analysis, household survey, tourist survey, stakeholder discussions and field observations. Settlement patterns, tourist circuits, environmental features and infrastructure conditions were documented and analysed. A Natural Sensitivity Index was prepared to identify ecologically fragile zones, especially around the Kele River system, paddy-fish fields, forests, water bodies and sensitive slopes. Tourist carrying capacity was assessed using the PCC-RCC-ECC method to understand the realistic level of tourism pressure that the valley can manage. Infrastructure gaps related to water supply, waste disposal, sanitation, mobility, drainage, parking, tourist facilities and heritage-sensitive development were also examined. The findings show that Ziro Valley does not require mass-tourism development, but a controlled and locally rooted tourism model. Tourism can become a source of livelihood for homestay owners, guides, farmers, craft workers and local entrepreneurs only if it is supported by proper infrastructure, visitor management and environmental safeguards. The proposals focus on tourist circuit management, wayfinding, homestay improvement, local guide certification, Talley Valley controlled eco-adventure circuit, paddy-fish agri-tourism trail, local produce stalls, shared processing and packaging facilities, seasonal toilets, waste management, road-edge improvement, drainage, lighting, parking and heritage-sensitive building controls. The thesis concludes that sustainable tourism in Ziro Valley should be planned as a low-impact, community-oriented and infrastructure-supported model that protects the Apatani cultural landscape while improving services for both residents and visitors.