Watershed Management in the Himalayas

In this book watersheds are considered a biophysical entity and regulate most of the human actions and physical components within the boundary through the stream network systems. Management issues of those watersheds are closely interlinked with the availability of the resources and their utilization, which primarily raise two fundamental concerns, such as status of the surrounding environment and livelihood of people residing in. A clear linkage has been established within the watershed environmental components including physical, biophysical (living and non-living), human action, behaviour and aspirations within the integrated approach. The integration here means taking into account the watershed’s geomorphic elements, processes and resources as a biophysical components and human action, behaviour, aspiration, intensity on resource utilization as a human component. The study thoroughly analyzes the management issues of the Himalayan watersheds based on the micro level evidences about population, resource and limiting factors confined in the Annapurna Region of Central Nepal, Himalayas. The study carries the identification of major geomorphic processes directly influencing on watershed resource base, the land use, land cover and landform of watershed and is tracing out the temporal change of watershed resources, the existing geo-demographic and socio-economic pressure on watersheds, and examining the role and activities of local communities, local organizations and external/internal institutions on watershed environmental management. Finally, suggestions have been made for the alternative planning strategy for watershed management.