With its focus on Kakani: a typical hill area northwest of Kathmandu, the book questions the widely-held assumption that population growth and deforestation in Nepal have caused land degradation and, thus, an “eco-crisis”. The author: herself a native Nepalese, tries to bring about an understanding of this “eco-crisis” by adding a local perspective through the village-level study of three cultural groups. She uses the theoretical framework of cultural ecology and mountain adaptation under the pressure of population. Applying the concepts of environmental perception, knowledge and cognition, Gurung also looks at the details of human-environment relationships in the mountainous regions.

Dr Sumitra Manandhar Gurung is a development activist and independent development consultant living in Kathmandu.