Mission to save Himalayas fragmented, says report
The implementation of the National Mission for Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE), launched by the Centre in 2010, has been slow and fragmented, according to a new sustainability report released on Friday.
The Sustainable India 2025 report, published by the University of Toronto India Foundation (UTIF) in collaboration with sustainability-focused media platform REVOLVE, said the mission’s progress has failed to translate scientific research into effective policy action and community resilience.
“While it laid the groundwork for research through nodal institutions like the GB Pant Institute and state climate cells, the translation of this knowledge into policy and community resilience remains limited,” the report said, adding that protecting the Himalayas would be a litmus test for climate leadership in the Global South.
The report warned that the fragile Himalayan region is under growing threat as glaciers melt at accelerated rates, rainfall patterns shift, and floods and landslides become more frequent.
The NMSHE was designed to enhance understanding of climate impacts, support sustainable development in mountain communities and conserve biodiversity and water resources through an integrated scientific and community-based approach.
“However, the mission’s progress has been slow and scattered. Institutional silos, funding constraints and a lack of real-time data sharing between central and state agencies have hindered its effectiveness,” the report said.
Citing recent disasters — including cloudbursts in Uttarakhand, floods in Sikkim and the retreat of the Chorabari glacier — the report stressed the urgent need for decentralised early warning systems and climate adaptation mechanisms.
It also flagged unregulated development in the region, noting that roads, dams and unchecked tourism have increased landslide and flood vulnerability despite the mission’s mandate to promote sustainable tourism, urbanisation and hydropower.
The report recommended stronger coordination with state governments, integration with district-level climate action plans, and collaboration with initiatives such as the CryoSCOPE project.
“Going forward, the mission must move from passive data collection to proactive climate risk reduction,” it said.
The report was released at the Cities of Care Conference held at IIT Madras Research Park.
