The Himalayas is the highest mountain range in the world and has nine out of 10 of the world’s highest peaks, including Mount Everest. These mountains, sometimes referred to as the third pole, cover central and South Asia, are the source of some of Asia’s major rivers and help to regulate our planet’s climate. These mountains are the home of many WWF priority species, including snow leopard, red panda, golden langur, black-necked crane, rufous-necked hornbill, golden and chocolate mahseer and high-altitude populations of tiger. The larger Asian Water Tower, of which the Eastern Himalayas is a part, feeds Asia’s great rivers and provides water to over 1 billion people
For centuries people here have developed a unique culture that weaves nature and people together into the same fabric of life. The region is the birthplace of the Buddha and is full of sacred natural sites such as secret valleys and high mountain lakes that predate ancient Hinduism.
The Himalayas face many challenges, and governments are under increasing pressure to enhance their economies and secure their natural heritage. Forests are strained as demand continues to grow for timber, infrastructure expansion and food crops. Protected areas are becoming isolated pockets, and international criminal networks are emptying forests of rare wildlife to feed the voracious illegal market in the region and beyond. The impact of global climate change is melting the once mighty Himalayas at a rate faster than ever recorded in human history, jeopardizing a vital source of freshwater for billions of people in Asia.
WWF has worked in the Eastern Himalayan region since the start of the conservation movement and the founding of our organization in 1961. By joining hands with governments, local communities and supporters around the world, we have made progress for wild species and natural landscapes. But more needs to be done to forge a sustainable future for the Eastern Himalayas.