Primary Objective

The most crucial and primary objective of the mission is to develop a sustainable national capacity to continuously assess the health status of the Himalayan ecosystem, enable policy bodies in their policy-formulation functions and assist states in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) with their implementation of actions selected for sustainable development.
This integrated objective would require
a) Scientific assessment of the vulnerability of the Himalayan eco system to short and long term variability in the weather and climate in all its dimensions of physical, biological and socio-cultural aspects
b) Research for framing evidence-based policy measures to protect the fragile ecosystem and
c) Time-bound action programmes at state level in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) in order to sustain the ecological resilience and ensure the continued provision of key ecosystem services.

Secondary Objectives

Secondary objectives of the National Mission for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem identified within the overall primary objective are:

• Networking of knowledge institutions engaged in studies on Himalayan Ecosystem and development of a coherent data base on the geological, hydrological, biological and socio cultural dimensions including traditional knowledge systems on preservation and conservation of the ecosystem
• Detection and decoupling of natural and anthropogenic induced signals of global environmental changes in mountain ecosystems and prediction of future trends on potential impacts of climate change on the Himalayan ecosystem with a sound S&T backup
• Assessment of the socio-economic and ecological consequences of global environmental change and design of appropriate strategies for growth in the economy of the mountain regions and the lowland systems dependent on mountain resources in the region
• Studying of traditional knowledge systems for community participation in adaptation, mitigation and coping mechanisms inclusive of farming and traditional health care systems
• Evaluation of policy alternatives for regional development plans towards sustainable tourism development, water and other natural resource management for mountain ecosystems in the region
• Creation of awareness amongst stakeholders in the region for including them in the design and implementation of the programme
• Assisting the states in the Indian Himalayan Region with informed actions required for sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem