Publication

The Hindu-Kush Himalayas (HKH) is one of the most diverse ecological regions in the world. Stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar, the mountainous region encompasses the world’s highest peaks, 30% of the world’s glaciers, and provides between 1.3–1.8 billion people with water and other natural resources. The Western Indian Himalayas are the segment of the Hindu Kush Mountains located in western India. They encompass three states, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu-Kashmir. Uttarakhand, the newest of the three, was formed in 2000 when it split from Uttar Pradesh in a quest for autonomy and political independence. In all the three states, somewhere between 70% and 80% of the population is involved in agriculture. The under-development of mountain communities results in insufficient infrastructure for farmers to adapt to the rapidly changing climate. As a result, climate change poses a huge threat to both the livelihoods of millions of people, but also to the economies of the western Indian Himalayan states.