The document discusses the Eastern Himalayan region, highlighting its ancient sacred lands, cultural and religious sites, and endangered wildlife. It notes the threats facing the region from climate change, deforestation, overharvesting, and unsustainable development. Specifically, it summarizes the challenges of balancing local livelihoods with environmental protection and the need for regional cooperation on conservation efforts.

1. Eastern Himalayas:
Environmental Perspectives
Bharat Bhushan
Professor, Environmental Planning
YASHADA, Pune

2. Ancient and sacred lands
• The Himalayas are known and venerated
as ancient and sacred lands from the
Kabul to the Mekong
• More than 25% of the World’s waters arise
from the Himalayas
• Nearly 18% of the World’s waters travel
from Tibet to other parts of the World
• Sikkim is a valuable gateway to history

4. Mallinathan temple, Arunachal
• An ancient temple, dedicated to Shiva,
Parvati, Krishna and Rukmini has been
recently discovered in remote Arunachal.
• Location – Likabali, West Siang District.
• Places several convergence perspectives
of religions in these remote regions of the
Eastern Himalayas.
• Structures – 14th Century and much older

6. Roing, Arunachal
• Roing is near Anini, Lower Dibang valley
• Mehao wildlife sanctuary – home to many
endangered species, including Hoolock
• An ancient 3000 year old fort has been
uncovered inside these forests
• The Bhismaknagar Fort, at 3000 msl,
could perhaps be India’s highest fort.
• Hunli, cave temples, are near the fort

7. Ancient people with new problems
• Local communities in the Eastern
Himalayas are some of the most ancient
• Land-locked, their problems are their own.
• What is not seen is not known. What is not
known, cannot be faced without help.
• Glaciers, climate change, deforestation,
floods, landslides, women’s empowerment
and community lands are major issues

8. Face in the mirror
Sikkim today faces the
same problems as
other regions in the
Eastern Himalayas.
It would be a good idea
to learn from success
and failures in these
regions and create
sustainability.

9. Regional cooperation models
The nations of Bhutan,
Nepal, India and
Bangladesh have
agreed to cooperate
on common
environmental issues.
• Climate change,
energy, water, food
and biodiversiy

11. Has the paradise been lost?
• The land is fragile. Eastern Himalayas are an ecosystem
that is extremely threatened.
• Climate change has a major impact in this region. The
melting mountain glaciers have changed the habitat.
• Deforestation, over-harvesting of timber and fuelwood,
intensive grazing on Himalayan meadows and steep
slopes have destroyed the forest and fodder cover.
• Expanding agriculture, change in cropping practices and
failure to understand local water regimes have threatened
sustainability of the local natural resources for the very
people who harvest the lands.
• Poaching is a major threat to wildlife and endangered
species.

13. Water – is the major product
• Unfortunately, water is seen as the major
product of the Eastern Himalayas for
various reasons – including hydro-power
• Some of India’s largest hydro-power
projects are to be established in this area
• The scale of destruction has never been
seen in the Eastern Himalayas, and no
one can even predict the outcome

14. Chungthang

15. Need for a new mission
The World Wide Fund for Nature – Eastern
Himalayas has proposed a new mission for the
region – for policy, administration and action
Establish a sustainable relationship between
people and the environment to ensure a
future that includes health, wildlife
populations, plentiful natural resources and
lasting change for local livelihoods.

21. Threats to the forests and people
• These are temperate forests, savannas
and grasslands unlike the subcontinent
• Firewood, food and timber harvesting for
local people can be sustainable, but with
impact of industries, tourism and export,
the unsustainable levels are dangerous.
• Social impact will lead to poverty and
migration to cities and to lowlands.

22. Resource and human impact
• Conversion of forests to agriculture
• Charcoal production in low elevation areas
• Intensive grazing at higher elevations
• Impact on women for collecting firewood,
fodder, water and grazing cattle
• Easier to allow common cattle-herds to
graze inside forest areas. Has led to loss
of regeneration values of the forests.

28. Protecting biodiversity: Bhutan
• Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex
– largest conservation landscape –
connecting biological corridors and
protecting a continuous ecosystem area
• 4 National Parks, 4 WL Sanctuaries, but
with 12 biological corridors, covering more
than 3.6 million acres – nearly 35% of the
country’s total geographical area

30. Conserving the landscape: Bhutan
• Raising technical capacity of local people
• Community-based conservation projects
• Restore critical wildlife habitats
• Reduce incidents of human-animal conflict
• Restoration and community management
• Use of alternate energy projects
• Assistance in sustainable use of land and
forest resources

32. Beliefs and ethics: Bhutan
• Sacred Himalayan Landscape Initiative
• Leverage spiritual beliefs
• Strengthen conservation ethics of local
communities and transfer of technology
• Restore essential habitats through local
stakeholders participation in projects
• Focus on literacy and sustainable income-
generation skills, especially in women

35. Kangchenjunga – Nepal
• World’s third highest mountain has been
handed over to local communities
• On September 22, 2006 – to a coalition of
local communities – Kangchenjunga
Conservation Area Management Council
• Equitable sharing of benefits, conserve
endangered wildlife species, informal
education and income generating projects

37. With gratitude to all the
photographs and their
photographers sourced from the
internet for non-profit use
These photographs are not mine. They
have not been used for any profit
purpose but only for dissemination of
knowledge of this particular topic.