The Himalaya Dilemma - Navigating Risk, Vulnerability and Resilience in Geohazard-Prone Regions

The Himalaya Dilemma: Navigating Risk, Vulnerability, and Resilience in Geohazard-Prone Regions is a collaborative effort to explore and understand the multiple dangers the Himalayas face, including landslides, earthquakes, glacial lake outburst floods, terrain instability, anthropogenic landscape alterations, and ecosystem fragility. Often called the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole," the Himalayas are among Earth's most breathtaking yet geologically active mountain ranges. While these majestic peaks inspire awe, they also conceal a complex interplay of geological risks, environmental challenges, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
At the heart of the volume lies the theme The Himalaya at Risk, emphasizing the urgent need to bridge the gap between hazard management, community action, policy development, and scientific research. Integrating insights from geology, geomorphology, geography, environmental science, disaster management, and sustainable development, the book offers a comprehensive overview of the region's risk environment.
The Himalaya Dilemma is intended for a diverse readership, including academics and researchers in the fields of geology, environmental science, disaster risk management, and climate studies, policymakers and development practitioners involved in building disaster resilience and promoting sustainable development in mountain regions, as well as students seeking a deeper understanding of Himalayan geohazards and the broader consequences of environmental change.

List of contents

Chapter 1. Living on the Edge of Fragile Majesty: An Introductory Note on Emerging Risks, Hazards and Disasters in the Himalaya.- Part I. Tectonic Hazard and Geomorphic Dilemma.- Chapter 2. Integrated natural hazards in the Himalaya: Insights from the Darjiling-Sikkim Himalaya.- Chapter 3. Quantitative assessment of Relative Tectonic Activity and its implications for seismic hazard analysis in the Pir Panjal and Zanskar Mountain Ranges, Northwest Himalaya.- Chapter 4. Geomorphic Response to the Active Tectonics along a Sub-Himalayan Basin in Kangra Valley, India.-  Chapter 5. Geomorphic assessment of Tectonic influence on the Neora River Basin, Darjeeling- Sikkim Himalaya.- Chapter 6. Himalayan active fault zones: Basic understanding, Review and Concerns.- Part II. Landslide Susceptibility and Hazard Assessment.- Chapter 7. Advances in Understanding Mass Movement and Landslides in the Jammu and Kashmir region, Western Himalaya: An integrated approach from Geomorphological, Geological, and Geotechnical Perspectives.- Chapter 8. Rockfall hazard assessment and mitigation strategies along NH-7, Garhwal Himalaya: An Integrated RHRS and numerical simulation approach.- Chapter 9: Estimating terrain feasibility using BIS code and AHP methods for landslide susceptibility zonation: A case study of Mao-Maram region Manipur.- Chapter 10. GIS-based landslide susceptibility mapping of the Darjeeling Himalaya, India using Frequency Ratio (FR) and Fuzzy Logic (FL) models.- Chapter 11. Mapping Landslide Potential and Assessing Susceptibility in the Darjeeling Himalaya Using GIS and Bivariate Statistics.- Chapter 12. Assessment of Landslide Susceptibility in the Reshi River Basin, West Bengal and Sikkim and Highlighting the Impact of Changing Vegetation Cover.- Chapter 13. Landslide Inventory in parts of Sikkim, Eastern Indian Himalaya: Navigating Spatial and Temporal Patterns.- Chapter 14. Landslide Susceptibility Mapping Along the Critical NH-10 Corridor of the Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya: A Comparative Analysis of Analytical Hierarchy Process, Frequency Ratio, and Random Forest Models.

About the author

Dr. Sandipan Ghosh is an applied geomorphologist with a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Burdwan, India. His research focuses on the Quaternary environment, tectonic geomorphology, flood hydrology, and fluvial systems. He has published over fifty research articles and is the author of Laterites of the Bengal Basin and Key Aspects of Himalayan Geology. He has also co-edited six volumes on geomorphology and river systems, including Neo-Thinking on Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin Geomorphology and Floods in the Ganga–Brahmaputra–Meghna Delta.

Summary

The Himalaya Dilemma: Navigating Risk, Vulnerability, and Resilience in Geohazard-Prone Regions is a collaborative effort to explore and understand the multiple dangers the Himalayas face, including landslides, earthquakes, glacial lake outburst floods, terrain instability, anthropogenic landscape alterations, and ecosystem fragility. Often called the "Roof of the World" and the "Third Pole," the Himalayas are among Earth's most breathtaking yet geologically active mountain ranges. While these majestic peaks inspire awe, they also conceal a complex interplay of geological risks, environmental challenges, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities.
At the heart of the volume lies the theme The Himalaya at Risk, emphasizing the urgent need to bridge the gap between hazard management, community action, policy development, and scientific research. Integrating insights from geology, geomorphology, geography, environmental science, disaster management, and sustainable development, the book offers a comprehensive overview of the region's risk environment.
The Himalaya Dilemma is intended for a diverse readership, including academics and researchers in the fields of geology, environmental science, disaster risk management, and climate studies, policymakers and development practitioners involved in building disaster resilience and promoting sustainable development in mountain regions, as well as students seeking a deeper understanding of Himalayan geohazards and the broader consequences of environmental change.

Product details

• Assisted by: Sandipan Ghosh (Editor)
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English, German
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 25.08.2025
• EAN: 9783031950827
• ISBN: 978-3-0-3195082-7
• No. of pages: 450
• Illustrations: Approx. 450 p. 85 illus., 60 illus. in color.
• Series: Springer Natural Hazards
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Geosciences; Naturkatastrophen, Climate Change, Geomorphologie, geologische Oberflächenprozesse, Earth Sciences, Natural Hazards, Geomorphology, geohazards, Geoenvironmental Disaster Reduction, Tourism hazards, Glacial lake outbrust floods, Extreme climatic events, Flash floods, Earthquake potential, Geosifting the Himalaya