Dynamics of Cold Arid Zones in the Hindu Kush Himalaya and their Implications for Ecosystem Services and Human Well-Being: Opinion Paper

Eklabya Sharma; Avantika Thapa

doi:10.56093/aaz.v65i2.180543

Authors

Eklabya Sharma Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Jakkur, Bangalore 560064, India
Avantika Thapa Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Gangtok, Sikkim 737101, India

https://doi.org/10.56093/aaz.v65i2.180543

Keywords:

alpine vegetation, climate change, high-altitude wetlands, mountains, snow and glacier, spatial-temporal changes

Abstract

Mountains cover ~22% of the Earth’s land surface and support ~13% of the global mountain population. The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), one of the world’s largest mountain systems, provides critical ecosystem services-water, food, bioresources, and energy-sustaining about 240 million mountain people. Cold arid environments in the HKH are governed by interactions among precipitation, atmospheric moisture demand, temperature, and elevation. Analysis of ecosystem classes for 2000, 2010, and 2022 reveals marked spatial and temporal shifts across cold arid zones, including the cryosphere, high-altitude wetlands, and alpine vegetation. Change detection (2000-2022) highlights strong spatial heterogeneity in land-cover transitions, indicating diverse, localized responses to climatic change. Overall, the region shows a coupled pattern of vegetation expansion, cryosphere decline, and wetland formation, reflecting climate-driven restructuring of high-elevation ecosystems. These transformations in cold arid ecosystems-across glaciers, snow systems, wetlands, and alpine vegetation-are increasing risks for downstream populations. Declining ecosystem services are likely to reduce agricultural productivity, heighten disaster risks, and undermine human well-being in both mountain and downstream regions. Cold arid ecosystems are therefore critical in the context of climate and global change, requiring targeted attention and sustained investment to enhance resilience and support sustainable development.

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Author Biographies

Eklabya Sharma, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Jakkur, Bangalore 560064, India

Eklabya Sharma, a Padma Shri awardee, is Strategic Advisor and Director of The Himalaya Initiative at ATREE, Bengaluru, and President of the International Society for Tropical Ecology. An ecologist with over 45 years of experience, he is internationally recognized for pioneering research in the Himalaya, advancing science diplomacy, and shaping the global mountain agenda. His work spans biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, climate change adaptation, nature-based solutions, and strengthening resilience in mountain socio-ecological systems. He has held several key leadership positions, including Head of the Sikkim Regional Centre at the G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Deputy Director General at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, and Vice-Chancellor of TERI School of Advanced Studies.
Avantika Thapa, Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Gangtok, Sikkim 737101, India

Avantika Thapa is an interdisciplinary conservation researcher in the Himalayan region, integrating socio-ecological systems, GIS, and remote sensing to understand landscape change and human–wildlife
coexistence. Her work examines how climate change, land-use transitions, and conservation policies
reshape everyday interactions between people and wildlife in mountain systems. It is grounded in community-informed perspectives, critically exploring how the Himalaya is changing and what these
shifts mean for people and biodiversity.

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