Fingerprints of Climate Change from the Indian Himalayan Environment: Need to Inculcate in Environment Education for Schools and Colleges

Himalayas are the youngest mountain range in the world that are experiencing the implications of climate change occurring at the local and regional levels. This does not only affect the ecologically diverse natural landscapes in the Himalayan region but also disrupts the natural habitats and distribution of species. The synthesis of the available literature indicates that abrupt changes in climate, especially at higher elevations are affecting the natural distribution of plant and animal taxa. The unpredictable movement of wildlife beyond their natural ranges underpin disturbances under micro climatic conditions and alteration of environmental niches. Though upslope movement of quite a few species has been observed, the extent to which these can be attributed to climate change is not clearly known. Considering the fingerprints of climate change in the Indian Himalaya, which has been considered as an ecological fragile landscape, there is a need to revisit and restructure our priorities for wildlife conservation. Moreover, monitoring species’ responses over time and documenting indigenous knowledge of local communities would strengthen our actions in addressing the impacts of climate change. Furthermore, by adding climate change education in the school system, considering it to be mandatory, can be remedied only by providing appropriate knowledge and through a structured training programme on climate change mitigation and adaptation process.