简介：Background:ThefragilelandscapesoftheHimalayanregionarehighlysusceptibletonaturalhazards,andthereisongoingconcernaboutcurrentandpotentialclimatechangeimpacts.ThisstudyprovidesbackgroundinformationonIndia'sWesternHimalayasandreviewsevidenceofwarmingaswellasvariabilityinprecipitationandextremeevents.Methods:UnderstandingandanticipatingtheimpactsofclimatechangeonHimalayanforestecosystemsandtheservicestheyprovidetopeoplearecritical.Effortstodevelopandimplementeffectivepoliciesandmanagementstrategiesforclimatechangemitigationandadaptationrequiresparticularnewresearchinitiatives.Thevariousstudiesinitiatedandconductedintheregionarecompiledhere.Results:SeveralnewinitiativestakenbytheHimalayanForestResearchInstituteinShimlaaredescribed.Thisincludesnewpermanentobservationalfieldstudies,somewithmappedtrees,inhighaltitudetransitionalzonesforcontinuousmonitoringofvegetationresponse.WehavealsopresentednewstrategiesformitigatingpotentialclimatechangeeffectsinHimalayanforestecosystems.Conclusions:AssessmentoftheecologicalandgeneticdiversityoftheHimalayanconifersisrequiredtoevaluatepotentialresponsestochangingclimaticconditions.Conservationstrategiesfortheimportanttemperatemedicinalplantsneedtobedeveloped.TheimpactofclimatechangeoninsectsandpathogensintheHimalayasalsoneedtobeassessed.Coordinatedeffortsarenecessarytodevelopeffectivestrategiesforadaptationandmitigation.