The greater Himalayan region, stretching from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east, is home to about a quarter of a billion people who greatly depend on available natural resources for their survival and livelihoods. The ever-increasing population pressure and changing climate have grave implications for the sustenance of human health and habitation in the foreseeable future. The region is confronted with numerous challenges related to forest degradation, land productivity, disaster risk, water management, biodiversity loss, erratic climatic patterns, as well as socio-political capacity. The limits of arable land have essentially been reached, while the need for enhancing production to sustain human nutritive requirements and livelihoods continues to increase. Hence, the intensification of agriculture has become a necessity rather than a choice. Yet, producing greater numbers of crops and quantities of food, fiber and other materials on the same parcel of land runs the risk of degrading the soil fertility, productivity and overall quality. Therefore, means to achieve this without irreversibly damaging the soil and land resource base have become imperative. To this end, agro-forestry, agro-slivi-pastoral systems, and the adoption of a variety of regenerative crops, soil and water management and conservation practices offer the potential to deliver multiple benefits without sacrificing the very resource upon which the human population depends. The need for ecologically sound and sustainable management of natural resources in the Himalayan region, as well as the adaptation of local communities to the impacts of climate change and measures for its mitigation, cannot be over-emphasized. This book presents findings on approaches to sustainable land management and the intensification of agriculture and animal husbandry related to soil organic matter management and carbon sequestration for multiple benefits; and the agroforestry as a crop diversification strategy with livelihood and climate mitigation/adaptation benefits, along with other aspects of forest, biodiversity and water resources management. The book deals with technical, socio-economic, policy and biodiversity issues related to the sustainable use and management of natural resources, namely forests, soil/land, water, crops, animal husbandry and diversity of flora/fauna, as well as disaster risk and vulnerability of communities in the Himalayan region. There is a continuing need to study and research approaches for harmonizing human needs and lifestyles with natural ecosystems and processes so that both may co-exist in a mutually beneficial manner.

This open access volume is the first comprehensive assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. It comprises important scientific research on the social, economic, and environmental pillars of sustainable mountain development and will serve as a basis for evidence-based decision-making to safeguard the environment and advance people’s well-being. The compiled content is based on the collective knowledge of over 300 leading researchers, experts and policymakers, brought together by the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) under the coordination of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). This assessment was conducted between 2013 and 2017 as the first of a series of monitoring and assessment reports, under the guidance of the HIMAP Steering Committee: Eklabya Sharma (ICIMOD), Atiq Raman (Bangladesh), Yuba Raj Khatiwada (Nepal), Linxiu Zhang (China), Surendra Pratap Singh (India), Tandong Yao (China) and David Molden (ICIMOD and Chair of the HIMAP SC). This First HKH Assessment Report consists of 16 chapters, which comprehensively assess the current state of knowledge of the HKH region, increase the understanding of various drivers of change and their impacts, address critical data gaps and develop a set of evidence-based and actionable policy solutions and recommendations. These are linked to nine mountain priorities for the mountains and people of the HKH consistent with the Sustainable Development Goals. This book is a must-read for policy makers, academics and students interested in this important region and an essentially important resource for contributors to global assessments such as the IPCC reports.

CLIMATE IMPACTS ON SUSTAINABLE NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Climate change has emerged as one of the predominant global concerns of the 21st century. Statistics show that the average surface temperature of the Earth has increased by about 1.18°C since the late 19th century and the sea levels are rising due to the melting of glaciers. Further rise in the global temperature will have dire consequences for the survival of humans on the planet Earth. There is a need to monitor climatic data and associated drivers of changes to develop sustainable planning. The anthropogenic activities that are linked to climate change need scientific evaluation and must be curtailed before it is too late. This book contributes significantly in the field of sustainable natural resource management linked to climate change. Up to date research findings from developing and developed countries like India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and the USA have been presented through selected case studies covering different thematic areas. The book has been organised into six major themes of sustainable natural resource management, determinants of forest productivity, agriculture and climate change, water resource management and riverine health, climate change threat on natural resources, and linkages between natural resources and biotic-abiotic stressors to develop the concept and to present the findings in a way that is useful for a wide range of readers. While the range of applications and innovative techniques is constantly increasing, this book provides a summary of findings to provide the updated information. This book will be of interest to researchers and practitioners in the field of environmental sciences, remote sensing, geographical information system, meteorology, sociology and policy studies related to natural resource management and climate change.

The book is written in the backdrop of the environmental impacts of and future requirements from the natural environment for rapid economic growth that has characterized recent economic history of China and India, especially over the past few decades. The environmental impacts of such rapid economic changes have been, more frequently than otherwise, degrading in character. Environmental impacts of economic activities create degraded natural ecosystems by over utilization of nature’s provisioning ecosystem services (from Himalaya to the Ocean), as well, by the use of the natural environment as sink for dumping of unmarketable products or unused inputs of economic activities. Such processes affect wide range of ecosystem processes on which the natural environment including human population depend on. Critical perspectives cast by various chapters in this book draw attention to the various ways in which space and power interact to produce diverse geographies of sustainability in a globalizing world. They also address the questions such as who decides what kind of a spatial arrangement of political power is needed for sustaining the environment. Who stands to gain (or lose) what, when, where, and why from certain geographical areas being demarcated as ecologically unique, fragile and vulnerable environments? Whose needs and values are being catered to by a given ecosystem service? What is the scope for critical inquiry into the ways in which the environment is imagined, represented and resisted in both geopolitical struggles and everyday life? The book provides insights to both academics from diverse disciplines and policy makers, civil society actors interested in mutual exchange of knowledge between China and India.

The years 2021 to 2030 have been designated as "The United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration". Ecological restoration and biodiversity conservation efforts face unprecedented challenges, especially in developing countries and areas, such as the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. This huge HKH region, which includes areas in eight separate countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, India, China, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Bhutan), is a biodiversity hotspot with a vast array of ecosystems, landscapes, peoples and cultures. It is known as one of 'the pulses of the world'. However, the HKH is also the world's largest and poorest mountain region, where landscapes and environments have been severely damaged as a result of climate change and human activities. Coordinating conservation and restoration policies, sharing knowledge and funds, and maintaining livelihoods are major challenges and are in urgent need of improvement. This book details the past and current ecological problems in the HKH region, and the threats and challenges that ecosystems and local people face. It pays special attention to developments of transformative adaptations and presents examples of sustainable conservation and ecological restoration management practices. This book is essential reading for ecologists and conservation biologists involved in large-scale ecological restoration projects, along with practitioners, graduate students, policy makers and international development workers.

Sustainable livelihoods and ecosystems are far-reaching and burning issues in the wake of high growth of population, low production and per ha yield of crops and depletion of biodiversity resources. Mountainous regions of the world are facing the menace of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition. Further, tremendous growth in population and slow pace of development have together forced most of the population to live below poverty line. Traditionally depending upon cultivating subsistence crops for food requirement, the people living in mountainous region are unable to produce sufficient food grains to run their livelihood smoothly. The Himalayas is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots and has an abundance of natural resources: land, water and forest – life sustaining factors. The geo-environmental conditions – climate and landscape further enhance the possibility of sustainable livelihoods through eco-tourism, harnessing water resources and utilizing forests and their products sustainably. Diversifying agricultural practices through cultivating cash and cereal crops and enhancing livelihood options through extensive use of timber and non-timber based forestry products can help to eradicate poverty and provide food security. This book consists of an introduction and nine chapters, covering geo-environmental setting, socio-economy and population profile, sustainable livelihoods: diversification and enhancement, livelihood analysis, development of tourism and hydroelectricity, case studies, mountain ecosystems, sustainable mountain development and also presents a conclusion.

Geographic Information Science for Land Resource Management is a comprehensive book focusing on managing land resources using innovative techniques of spatial information sciences and satellite remote sensing. The enormous stress on the land resources over the years due to anthropogenic activities for commercialization and livelihood needs has increased manifold. The only solution to this problem lies in stakeholder awareness, which can only be attained through scientific means. The awareness is the basis of the sustainable development concept, which involves optimal management of natural resources, subject to the availability of reliable, accurate, and timely information from the global to local scales. GIScience consists of satellite remote sensing (RS), Geographical Information System (GIS), and Global Positioning System (GPS) technology that is nowadays a backbone of environmental protection, natural resource management, and sustainable development and planning. Being a powerful and proficient tool for mapping, monitoring, modeling, and managing natural resources can help understand the earth surface and its dynamics at different observational scales. Through the spatial understanding of land resources, policymakers can make prudent decisions to restore and conserve critically endangered resources, such as water bodies, lakes, rivers, air, forests, wildlife, biodiversity, etc. This innovative new volume contains chapters from eminent researchers and experts. The primary focus of this book is to replenish the gap in the available literature on the subject by bringing the concepts, theories, and experiences of the specialists and professionals in this field jointly. The editors have worked hard to get the best literature in this field in a book form to help the students, researchers, and policymakers develop a complete understanding of the land system vulnerabilities and solutions.

Volume 2: Handbook of Spatio-Temporal Monitoring of Water Resources and Climate is aimed to describe the current state of knowledge and developments of geospatial technologies (Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems) for assessing and managing water resources under climate change. It is a collective achievement of renowned researchers and academicians working in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) mountain range. The HKH region is a part of the Third Pole outside the polar regions due to its largest permanent snow cover. Importantly, the Himalayan belt is geologically fragile and vulnerable to geohazards (e.g. landslides, land subsidence, rockfalls, debris flow, avalanches, and earthquakes). Therefore, critical assessment and geospatial solutions are indispensable to safeguard the natural resources and human beings in the Himalayas using space-borne satellite datasets. This book also showcases various remote sensing techniques and algorithms in the field of urban sprawling, urban microclimate and air pollution. The potential impacts of climate change on the cryosphere and water resources are also highlighted. This comprehensive Handbook is highly interdisciplinary and explains the role of geospatial technologies in studying the water resources of the Himalayas considering climate change. Key Features This book is unique as it focuses on the utility of satellite data for monitoring snow cover variability, snowmelt runoff, glacier lakes, avalanche susceptibility and flood modeling. Explain how Remote Sensing techniques are useful for mapping and managing the morphology and ecology of the Himalayan River. Addresses how geospatial technologies are valuable for understanding climate change impact on hydrological extremes, the potential impact of land use/land cover change (LULC) on hydrology and water resources management. It highlights the impact of LULC changes on land surface temperature, groundwater, and air pollution in urban areas. Includes contributions from global professionals working in the HKH region. Readership The Handbook serves as a valuable reference for students, researchers, scientists, Hydrologists, hydro-ecologists, meteorologists, geologists, decision makers and all others who wish to advance their knowledge on monitoring and managing water resources and urban ecosystem using remote sensing in the HKH region considering climate change.