The Himalaya extends from the Pamir in the west to the valley of the Brahmaputra
in the east for nearly 2,500 km and passes through Pakistan, India, China, Nepal
and Bhutan. The Himalayan area by virtue of its complex geologic structure,
snow-capped peaks, a variety of natural landscapes, mountain peoples of unique
socio-cultural diversities and adaptation mechanisms has attracted outsiders from
the past. The favorable government policies and peaceful native people of the
Nepal Himalaya have welcomed thousands of tourists, trekkers and researchers
to fulfill their various aspirations and interests. However, the country is often
blamed for causing the so-called eco-crisis in the region. During the 1970s and
1980s, publishing several books and articles with attractive titles, some mountain
experts showed solidarity with those who propounded a hypothetical theory of
Himalayan environmental degradation on the basis of the limited samples collected
from a few localities.