Modelling of the Valley of Flowers National Park, a World Heritage Site, by Additive Manufacturing.

The article focuses on the development of a methodology to create a physical 3D model of the Valley of Flowers National Park (VOFNP) in India, a UNESCO-designated natural World Heritage Site (WHS) known for its significant Himalayan flora and fauna. Using digital elevation model (DEM) data in ASCII format, the terrain was converted into 3D STL files, processed to include vertical walls and a base, and fabricated via fused deposition modeling (FDM) additive manufacturing using an Ultimaker 2 Extended+ printer. The resulting scaled physical model serves as a communication tool among conservation stakeholders to aid in management, monitoring, and restoration efforts of the park, which faces threats from tourism, population pressure, and natural disasters. The research highlights the potential of additive fabrication for conservation management but notes that stakeholder engagement and further application remain future steps.