This paper provides an overview of a decade-long project on forest degradation in the Indian and Nepalese Himalayas. It is based on LSMS data for Nepal and field work in Indian states of Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh comprising sample surveys of forests, households and village communities, besides commissioned anthropological studies for select villages. The purpose was to ascertain the nature and magnitude of deforestation and degradation from ground-level forest measurements, its implications for living standards of local communities, the contribution of different factors commonly alleged such as local poverty, inequality, economic growth, demographic changes, property rights and lack of collective action by local communities. Principal findings, shortcomings and questions for future research are discussed