India, March 10 -- The Koirer hill range in Phalee village stands in stark contrast to the lush greenery around it. Its landscape is dotted with tree lines at the base and patches of shrubs higher up. From a distance, the mountain range appears almost anomalous: desert vegetation in the midst of a rainforest.

Upon closer examination, however, the foreboding hill reveals the long-lasting impacts of human pressure. Like most adjoining mountain ranges, Koirer was once a thriving rainforest. But years of deforestation and exploitative farming practices have reduced the hill to a barren wasteland.

"No vegetable grows well on the hill anymore," remarked Shimreishang, a community member, as we drove towards the foot of the mountain.

A shift i...