Globalization and fragile mountain environments - Policy challenges and choices

Mountain areas are faced with a range of new problems:in the context of rap id globalization and economic liberalization;:There are visible incompatibi lities. between: the driving forces and operational mechanisms Of market-dr iven globalization and the imperatives of mountain conditions. Thus, select ive overextraction of:resources in response to market signals and narrow sp ecialization that disregard local diversity are incompatible with;the fragi lity, inaccessibility, diversity, and marginality of mountain: regions The negative impacts of globalization and new trade policies on local productio n systems are already visible in many parts of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan reg ion, and niche markets with comparative advantages for mountain regions are disappearing There is a need to adapt to the changes bought by. globalizat ion.:A few:key areas in which new approaches could minimize the negative im pacts and harness the positive opportunities associated with globalization are outlined below for the attention of policymakers.