Sustainable development of the Indian Himalayan region: linking ecological and economic concerns

Abstract

The Indian Himalayan region occupies a special place in the mountain ecosystems of the world. These geodynamically young mountains are not only important from the standpoint of climate and as a provider of life, giving water to a large part of the Indian subcontinent, but they also harbour a rich variety of flora, fauna, human communities and cultural diversity. Despite the abundance of natural resources, most of its people are marginalized and still live on subsistence level. The unscientific exploitation of natural resources is leading to increasing environmental degradation and aggravating the impact of natural hazards. There is a need to evolve new paradigm to restore balance between economic interest and ecological imperatives with due regards to socio-cultural principles.