Current Human Impacts

Human impact has drastically affected the Himalayas in recent decades. According to Erik Eckholm’s Theory of Himalayan Environmental Degradation, the population growth after World War II catalyzed the beginning of massive environmental derogation in the region. Due to the spike in population, the demand for wood and agricultural land skyrocketed, leading to rapid and severe deforestation. As a result, steep mountain sides have been stripped of their vegetation cover, leading to exaggerated erosion and landslides (Ives, 2004). Additionally, depleting large areas of land of life strips the soil of its nutrients, as most essential minerals leach away if trees are not there to absorb them.  This bare soil then makes it even more difficult to regenerate a forest later on (Berg, 2007). Recent studies have shown that the Himalayan Forest has lost 15 percent of its forest cover since the 1970s and two-thirds of the region's dense forest will disappear by 2100. The estimated deforestation is primarily due to commercial harvesting.

Himalayan mountainside after severe deforestation 
(Raman, Deforestation in Himalayas)

          Furthermore, climate change could cause serious problems in the years to come.  The Himalayas are the largest non-polar ice mass in the world, with 15,000 glaciers covering the entire range.  These glaciers are crucial to maintaining the river system that runs throughout the region; fresh water is produced by glacial melting and sustains plants, animals and over a billion people.  However, as a result of climate change these glaciers are now melting faster than new snowmass is being created.  The increase of black carbon particles and pollutants accumulating on the glaciers is changing their albedo, making them more absorbent than reflective and thus expediting melting.  65% of the glaciers that supply water for 1/7 of the planet are receding, creating the potential for catastrophe (Fulton 2011).  

Glacial melting in the Himalayas 

(Novis, Melting Mountains )

Deforestation & Population in the Himalayas

(Rao, 1997)

As demonstrated by the table, as population has risen in areas surrounding the Himalayas, forest cover has decreased significantly.

Glacial retreat in the Himalayas

(IPCC, 2007)

While most glaciers have always experienced retreat, the current rates are nearly triple what they have been in decades past.  

(Wang, 2007)

            These issues of deforestation and water problems in the Himalayas are not independent of one another.  On the steep deforested slopes, uncontrolled soil erosion impedes hydroelectric power because silt builds up behind dams (Berg, 2007).  Furthermore, sediment runoff can pollute water supply and promote desertification, as seen in the Lhasa River (Wang, 2007).  Additionally, forests help regulate water flow, a process that is disrupted as a result of deforestation and can cause irregular floods and droughts.