Springer Nature
People living in the mountains maintain a unique relationship with their surrounding environment. Humans have settled in mountainous regions all across the globe for centuries, adapting to the challenging terrains and establishing exceptional cultural practices and lifestyles. Until today, they depend on their immediate ecosystems for their everyday necessities while also conserving those environments through their own traditional practices and belief systems. Understanding and addressing the ease and complexities of the relationship between people and mountains is essential for sustainable development through overall conservation and well-being of both the environment and the communities living in these regions. The mountain communities in the Himalayas and their interconnectedness with their surroundings could provide important insights in this regard. For instance, the interaction between humans and mountains in the Himalayas is diverse, spanning across various cultural, economic, political, environmental and recreational dimensions and parameters. As sustainable development is a core goal of the world today, it is both interesting and pertinent to explore these various aspects…