Himalayan Perceptions: Environmental Change and the Well-Being of Mountain Peoples (Routledge Studies in Physical Geography and Environment)

in The 1970s And 1980s Many Institutions, Agencies And Scholars Believed That The Himalayan Region Was Facing Severe Environmental Disaster, Due Primarily To Rapid Growth In Population That Has Caused Extensive Deforestation, Which In Turn Has Led To Massive Landsliding And Soil Erosion. This Series Of Assumptions Was First Challenged In The Book: the Himalayan Dilemma (1989: Ives And Messerli, Routledge). Nevertheless, The Environmental Crisis Paradigm Still Commands Considerable Support, Including Logging Bans In The Mountain Watersheds Of China, India, And Thailand, And Is Constantly Being Promoted By The News Media. himalayan Perceptions Identifies The Confusion Of Misunderstanding, Vested Interests, Changing Perceptions, And Institutional Unwillingness To Base Development Policy On Sound Scientific Knowledge. It Analyzes The Large Amount Of New Research Published Since 1989 And Totally Refutes The Entire Construct. It Examines Recent Social And Economic Developments In The Region And Identifies Warfare, Guerrilla Activities, And Widespread Oppression Of Poor Ethnic Minorities As The Primary Cause For The Instability That Pervades The Entire Region. It Is Argued That The Development Controversy Is Further Confounded By Exaggerated Reporting, Even Falsification, By News Media, Environmental Publications, And Agency Reports Alike. "In the 1970s and 1980s many institutions, agencies, and scholars believed that the Himalayan region was facing imminent environmental disaster. They argued that rapid growth in population had caused extensive deforestation, which in turn had led to massive landsliding, soil erosion and widespread flooding downstream in northeast India and Bangladesh. This series of assumptions was first challenged in the book The Himalayan Dilemma (1989: Ives and Messerli, Routledge). Nevertheless, the environmental crisis paradigm still exerts considerable support and continues to be promoted by the news media." "Himalayan Perceptions discusses the evolving attitudes toward environmental change, the confusion of misunderstanding, vested interests, and institutional unwillingness to base development policy on sound scientific knowledge. It brings together and analyses the extensive amount of new research published since 1989 and totally refutes the entire construct of the environmental crisis paradigm. This is followed by examination of recent social and economic developments in the region and it identifies widespread oppression of poor ethnic minorities, which leads to civil unrest, guerrilla activities and warfare, as the primary cause for the instability that pervades the entire region. It is argued that the development controversy is further confounded by exaggerated reporting, even falsification, by news media, environmental publications, and agency reports alike." "Illustrated with numerous photographs and detailed examples, Himalayan Perceptions will prove an invaluable resource for all those interested in the Himalayan region."--Jacket. In the 1970s and 1980s many institutions, agencies and scholars believed that the Himalayan region was facing severe environmental disaster, due primarily to rapid growth in population that has caused extensive deforestation, which in turn has led to massive landsliding and soil erosion. This series of assumptions was first challenged in the book: The Himalayan Dilemma (1989: Ives and Messerli, Routledge). Nevertheless, the environmental crisis paradigm still commands considerable support, including logging bans in the mountain watersheds of China, India, and Thailand, and is constantly being promoted by the news media.
Himalayan Perceptions identifies the confusion of misunderstanding, vested interests, changing perceptions, and institutional unwillingness to base development policy on sound scientific knowledge. It analyzes the large amount of new research published since 1989 and totally refutes the entire construct. It examines recent social and economic developments in the region and identifies warfare, guerrilla activities, and widespread oppression of poor ethnic minorities as the primary cause for the instability that pervades the entire region. It is argued that the development controversy is further confounded by exaggerated reporting, even falsification, by news media, environmental publications, and agency reports alike. Book Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 5 List of figures......Page 10 Foreword......Page 14 Preface......Page 16 Acknowledgements......Page 20 The myth of Himalayan environmental degradation......Page 24 The Himalayan region: an overview......Page 48 Status of forests in the Himalayan region......Page 66 Geomorphology of agricultural landscapes......Page 99 Flooding in Bangladesh: causes and perceptions of causes......Page 126 Mountain hazards......Page 141 Tourism and its impacts......Page 166 Conflict, tension, and the oppression of mountain peoples......Page 196 Prospects for future development: assets and obstacles......Page 218 What are the facts? Misleading perceptions, misconceptions, and distortions......Page 234 Redefining the dilemma: is there a way out?......Page 252 Epilogue......Page 257 Notes......Page 263 References......Page 265 Author index......Page 284 Subject index......Page 288 The myth of Himalayan environmental degradation The Himalayan region : an overview Status of the mountain forests Geomorphology of agricultural landscapes Flooding in Bangladesh : causes and perceptions of causes Mountain hazards Tourism and its impacts Conflict, tension, and the oppression of mountain peoples Prospects for future development : assets and obstacles What are the facts? misleading perceptions, misconceptions, and distortions Redefining the dilemma : is there a way out?