India, March 3 -- As repositories of forests, water sources, biodiversity and carbon sinks, mountain states underpin India's ecological security while supporting millions downstream. Strengthening local environmental governance, community steward-ship and green livelihoods in these regions is therefore essential, not just for conservation but for economic resilience of the country.

The importance of this balancing act is evident in Uttarakhand, which has 45.5 per cent-24,305 sq km-under forest cover, according to the India State of Forest Report 2021. A 2018 government-sponsored study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management pegs the value of ecosystem services offered by its forested landscape at Rs 95,000 crore a year. But this opp...