The Himalayas, known as the ‘Third Pole’, are facing an escalating crisis due to landslides driven by climate change and human activity. The settlements in the Himalayas are increasingly vulnerable due to a surging prevalence of landslides. This systematic review investigates the repercussions of landslide hazards on the inhabitants of the Himalayan Arc and explores the causes and adaptive strategies focusing on the period from 2002 to 2022. Data dealing with the impact of landslides were systematically extracted from Scopus, Web of Science, Pascal & Francis, Science Direct, and Google Scholar databases. The review adhered to the prescribed guidelines of reporting standards for systematic evidence systems (ROSES). The frequency and severity of landslides in the Himalayas are notably high, potentially exceeding those observed in other global regions, due to a combination of specific geological, climatic, and human-induced factors. Thematic categorization identifies that the Himalayan communities confront a multifaceted challenge involving social, natural, economic, human, and physical losses induced by landslides. However, they lack adaptive capacity. The origins of these landslides are diverse, emanating from natural forces, geological phenomena, and human activities within the Himalayas. The review contributes to the understanding of the profound impact that landslides inflict upon the Himalayan region. By consolidating data from diverse databases, the study illuminates the urgent need for comprehensive strategies to bolster resilience and mitigate the escalating threats posed by landslides in this vulnerable geographic expanse.
Sustainable development in mountainous and hilly regions is a critical component of global sustainability efforts. These regions are facing numerous challenges, including ecological fragility, labor migration, and resource scarcity and imbalance. Addressing these issues is imperative for sustainable development; this study identifies two primary conditions necessary for sustainable development in mountainous regions: achieving human and nature’s sustainable development, which provides reliable material support and social support for achieving the same in the mountainous and hilly regions. The flower-viewing economy, derived from transforming China’s mountain agriculture, is an efficient new format for mountainous and hilly regions. To verify these primary conditions, this study constructed a flower-viewing economy from three dimensions: material support, subject relationship, and expectation, using the peach blossom festival in Tingzi Village, Taihe Town of Chongqing City, as an example. Here, we explained that a sustainable development model focused on benefiting farmers is an endogenous, farmer-centered pathway to sustainable development, highly relevant to promoting sustainable development in developing countries’ mountain villages.
The analysis delves into key strategies for enhancing agricultural productivity in Southeast Asia and South Asia. It underscores the vital role of mechanization, sustainable input practices, and gender-inclusive policies. Customized interventions in these realms hold promise for significantly amplifying agricultural performance in the region. Fertilizer and machinery productivity are pivotal factors that correlate strongly with overall agricultural productivity, as revealed by regression analyses. Notably, male employment in agriculture and agricultural machinery exhibits positive and substantial impacts on agricultural productivity, while female employment and fertilizer consumption indicators show significant yet negative associations. The study highlights systemic issues such as unequal resource access and differing gender roles in agriculture that may impede the immediate productivity gains from increased female labor force participation. Mechanization and efficient fertilizer utilization emerge as critical drivers of enhanced agricultural output, with consistent coefficients across models. Male employment consistently demonstrates a positive influence on productivity, emphasizing the significance of labor force engagement in agriculture. Moreover, the study underscores the imperative of judicious fertilizer management to avert environmental degradation and diminishing returns. The findings affirm the efficacy of the random effects model, supported by the Hausman test, which indicates congruence in results between fixed and random effects models. This methodological choice ensures robust and reliable conclusions regarding the relationships between male and female employment, machinery, fertilizer consumption, and agricultural productivity in South and Southeast Asia.
