Environmental challenges and human security in the Himalaya

Mountains form one of the most important bio-geographical resource zones of the world. They are remote areas covering 52 per cent of Asia, 36 percent of North America, 25 per cent of Europe, 22 per cent of South America, 17 per cent of Australia, and 3 per cent of Africa making up, in total, 24 per cent of the earth's continental surfaces. They encompass some of the most awe-inspiring landscapes, a great diversity of species and habitat types and distinctive, tenacious and often disadvantaged human beings. They directly support 22 per cent of the world's people who live within mountain regions. A further 40 per cent live adjacent or very close to mountain areas and are benefited from mountain resources in more than one ways. Well over half the global population depends on mountain environments for a wide range of goods and services including for water, food, hydro-electricity, timber, biodiversity maintenance and mineral resources besides availing opportunities for recreation and spiritual renewal. Up to 80 per cent of the planet's fresh surface water comes from mountains.  Hence, mountains are very significant to human in a variety of ways. Scholars often argue that the future security of the planet's growing human population rests in great measure on mountain watersheds. Mountains are, however, fragile resource zones and are highly susceptible to both natural forces and anthropogenic factors. Mountain people face an environment in which everyday physical demands are great, natural hazards are significant and agricultural production is constrained. Only about 3 per cent of land ranked as highly suitable for rain-fed agriculture is within mountains, highlighting the restricted livelihood opportunities available to many mountain people. Further, difficult access coupled with socio-economic and political marginalisation often compounds the problems. In recent times many anthropogenic activities have been aggravating the natural setup of mountains. Studies across the globe have found that the health of the world's mountains is in dire need of relief from modern anthropogenic activities that are causing lasting environmental damage and human insecurities. According to the analysis by the United Nations University, pressure from tourism, development, pollution, deforestation, climate change, and other forces is permanently eroding the landscape of many mountain ranges, with serious implications for society. Some of the major consequences of these processes include water shortages and increased natural disasters such as landslides, avalanches, catastrophic flooding, soil erosion; loss of genetic diversity; armed conflicts; wildfires; high winds; and extremes of temperature and radiation among others. "War and natural disasters have long plagued mountain regions. Researchers have determined natural disasters in mountain regions worldwide were responsible for almost 1.6 million lives lost between 1900 and 1988, the foremost causes being floods and earthquakes. Other figures show that combat in mountain regions some 105 wars and conflicts between 1945 and 1995 resulted in 11.1 million casualties, including 7.8 million civilians". Restoring mountain ecosystems, improving mountain people's livelihoods, managing watersheds and other aspects of environmental stewardship in mountain areas will require long-term local and regional cooperative programmes between communities, private and public stakeholder associations, policy makers and development financiers. The problems and constraints characterising mountain areas are varied and complex, requiring multidimensional interventions. Keeping in view the plight of the mountains across the globe in recent times, the United Nations designated 2002 as the "International Year of the Mountains" to draw attention to ecological degradation of mountains and promote policies that help protect critical resources and services they provide. Further, in view of the fragility and their overall importance as the regulator of global ecological balance it is argued that mountains deserve the level of concern afforded to other global ecosystems such as wetlands, forests and coral reefs. The Himalaya, one of the youngest and loftiest geo-entities that the planet has ever produced, has been one of the prime examples among the mountain systems that are often cited whenever environment and associated development issues are discussed in connection to the mountains.The basic aim of this paper would, hence, be to identify, quantify and offer a general discussion on the various natural and human made environmental insecurities that often challenge human security in the Himalaya and its geographical milieu. While doing so, an attempt will be made to critically review some of the debatable theories/findings put forward by some scholars/organisations and examine their relevance with the present reality in the area seeking the help of recently available data.