High population levels and the mismanagement of land have led to serious environmental problems in the Himalayan re:gion. Rooted in cultural and political history, forestry policy and local agricultural practices have resulted in the degradation of much of the forests used by villagers for fuelwood and for grazing livestock. Stripping the land of forests has led to increased erosion of the mountains and to siltation and flooding of waterways and prime agricultural hmd during the summer mOnsoons. Two models are here used to determine the area of forest required now and in the future for different projections of population levels. On the basis of current data for the Central Himalayas, it is shown that if appropriate population control and forest land and livestock management policies are adopted and implemented immediately, it may still be possible to repair the environment and avert a social and economic disaster.
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