Abstract Fragile ecosystems of the Himalayas have seen rampant land-use changes in recent times due to proliferation of hydropower development promoted as a climate change mitigation strategy for global energy transition. Further, in order to mitigate the loss of forest lands diverted for hydropower projects, countries like India have compensatory afforestation policies, which have meant more physical interference in natural landscapes, whose long-term consequences remain under-researched. This study conducted between 2012 and 2016 uses information from government data and ground research to examine the extent, nature and impact of forest diversion for hydropower projects in the remote, ecologically vulnerable Kinnaur Division of Himachal Pradesh in the Western Himalayas. It also studies the implementation of ‘compensatory afforestation’ undertaken as a ‘mitigation’ strategy as part of this forest diversion process. The study found that not only have construction activities for hydropower projects impacted existing land-use, disturbed forest biodiversity and fragmented the forest landscape, but the related compensatory afforestation plantations are also ridden with problems. These include abysmally low presence of surviving saplings (upto 10%) interspecies conflict, infringement on local land usage, and damage by wildfires and landslides. The study critically examines the role of state led institutions and global green growth policies in driving and legitimizing these developments in the name of ‘mitigation’, ultimately causing more harm to fragile local ecosystems and communities dependent on these.

中文翻译：

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缓解还是神话？水电开发和补偿造林对高喜马拉雅山森林生态系统的影响

摘要 由于水电开发的扩散，喜马拉雅山脆弱的生态系统最近出现了猖獗的土地利用变化，水电开发被作为全球能源转型的气候变化减缓战略而推广。此外，为了减轻被改用于水电项目的林地的损失，印度等国家制定了补偿性植树造林政策，这意味着对自然景观的更多物理干扰，其长期后果仍未得到充分研究。2012 年至 2016 年期间进行的这项研究使用来自政府数据和地面研究的信息，研究了喜马拉雅西部喜马偕尔邦偏远、生态脆弱的金瑙尔省水电项目森林改道的范围、性质和影响。它还研究了作为森林转移过程的一部分作为“缓解”战略而采取的“补偿性造林”的实施。研究发现，不仅水电项目的建设活动影响了现有土地利用，扰乱了森林生物多样性，破坏了森林景观，相关的补偿造林也存在问题。这些包括极低的存活树苗（高达 10%）的种间冲突、对当地土地使用的侵犯以及野火和山体滑坡造成的破坏。该研究批判性地考察了国家主导的机构和全球绿色增长政策在以“缓解”的名义推动这些发展并使这些发展合法化方面的作用，最终对脆弱的当地生态系统和依赖这些生态系统的社区造成更多伤害。