The Great Himalayan National Park: The Struggle to Save the Western Himalyas

The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most important protected areas in the Himalayas, one of the World’s fantastic biological realms. The book is intended both as a history and an ecological overview of the Park, and as a plea for the continued conservation of the rich legacy of Himalayan plants and animals. In addition to descriptions of the ecology, the book includes local history and culture, as well as a review of current developments in the region. The inscription of the Park into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 confirmed the Outstanding Universal Values of the area, which contains the most significant natural habitats for in situ conservation of Western Himalayan biological diversity. The pictures, taken by the authors and their collaborators, vividly illustrate the grandeur and diversity of the area. The book has universal appeal: to naturalists, scholars, resource managers, trekkers, and armchair travellers. Success and failure along the road to creating today’s Park are discussed frankly to inform future management efforts, and numerous examples of conservation in action will motivate a new generation of naturalists and ecologists to continue the fight to protect the ecology of the most incredible mountains on earth.