The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region, extending over 3500 kilometres and home to about 150 million people, is a rich ecosystem dominated by forests, mountain ranges, biodiversity, nd other natural resources. Many of these resources are critical for the wellbeing of close to a billion people living downstream because of the role they play in sustaining supplies of water, hydroelectricity, timber, mineral resources, and flood control related services. They are also areas of recreation for nature lovers. Increased population pressure and inappropriate use and management of these environmental and natural resources, however, have created severe pressure leading to a vicious cycle of degradation, poverty, and more degradation. It is generally believed that changing property regimes, from local users to distant and weak state machineries, has been one of the leading factors for degradation.