Himalayas

The Himalaya proper is commonly defined as the rugged arc between the Tibetan Plateau and the Ganges Plain stretching from the Indus River in the northwest to the great bend of the Brahmaputra River (Yarlung Tsangpo) in the east. The natural and cultural wealth of the HKH region is as overwhelming as its scenic beauty. The same holds true for the region’s enormous ecosystem services underpinning the livelihoods, food security and energy provision of a substantial part of the world’s human population in the region itself and downstream along the numerous major rivers originating in it.

This highly topical book considers the important question of how best to protect the environment of the Third Pole – the area comprising the Hindu Kush Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau – using the tool of international law. Following detailed analysis of the weaknesses in the current legal protections according to comparative legal theory, Simon Marsden recommends three potential options for implementation by policy and lawmakers.

This publication is the proceedings for a satellite event on Biodiversity and the Ecosystem Approach in Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, held on the occasion of the Ninth Regular Session of the Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, in FAO, Rome, 12-13 October 2002. An informal presentation of the Satellite Event’s discussions and results was given on 16 October 2002. About 100 participants attended the day and a half event.

The Himalayas are the water tower of Asia and are a precious resource to be used wisely and protected for human welfare, research and eduction. This book, which consists of 18 articles, is aimed at practitioners, planners and researchers to be of use in the management, conservation and sustainable development of the Himalayan high altitude wetlands and their resources.

Animals need adequate resources so that their populations not only survive but thrive. So they seek places that can best provide them. Yet, they face several challenges, while obtaining these resources, e.g., predators, competitors and physical obstacles: mountains and rivers. Some animals are better-equipped to overcome these challenges, and are widely distributed, while others are not. These differences generate uneven pattern of distribution of life on earth.