Hard as it may sound to those overcome by the sheer mag-nificence of this mountain chain, the majestic Himalayas are surprisingly vulnerable to both natural and man-made processes. The mountain chain is young and, , it is still geologically active. The Indian landmass continues to move towards the Eurasian landmass, .

Due to this, the Himalayas are still structurally unstable.

The Himalayas also feature a fragile ecosystem. For centuries, this ecosystem has remained delicately balanced, and it has been responsible for the tremendous biodiversity of the Himalayas. However, in recent years the ecosystem has been disturbed in various parts .

, man has disturbed the natural ecosystems of many parts of the world. The Himalayas have been no ex-ception. Over the centuries, pilgrims and explorers have visited the mountains. However, in the past their numbers were few and the Himalayan ecosystem, fragile as it is, was able to cope with the effects of human exploration in the areas.

But today, the story is different. In the last few decades, an intricate network of roads has been built into the mountains, . This has translated into a tremendous increase in the numbers of people .

In addition, the Himalayas are now being exploited, to the hilt in many areas, to provide materials for the growing number of forest-based industries. Thus, it is not a surprise that environmental problems have emerged in the Himalayan region.