Work

Designing and facilitating effective forest carbon policy in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) forests play an important role in carbon sequestration. • An integrated forest policy reform reduces the climate change impact on HKH forests. • Forest-based carbon management in HKH addresses regional climate change challenges. • A transboundary institutional framework proposed to address carbon policy in HKH. The Hindu-Kush Himalaya are a critical biodiversity hotspot and a major global reservoir of forest carbon, with substantial potential to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Yet the region is facing increasing socioeconomic and ecological stress from rapid warming and human disturbances. To respond to these escalating risks, urgent reforms in forest governance are required. Here, we propose a transboundary institutional framework grounded in research and active local community engagement, capable of designing, facilitating, and implementing coordinated forest-carbon policies across the Hindu-Kush Himalaya. This approach addresses cross-border emission dynamics and fosters collaborative policy actions that can simultaneously advance carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development within the region.

Source: Trees Forests and People

DOI: 10.1016/j.tfp.2025.101046