Decadal Shift in the Vegetation Line and Forest Loss in the Kinnaur District of the Himachal Pradesh

This study examines the shifting of the vegetation lines and forest loss in the Kinnaur District, a part of the Western Himalayas, as a response to environmental and climate changes. The study analyzed the vegetation dynamics using Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) for 1990, Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data for 2008, and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) for 2021. Satellite images were analyzed using the NDVI technique in the RS & GIS environment of ERDAS Imagine and ArcGIS 9.3 to identify changes in vegetation lines. ALOS Palsar DEM data was used. Besides, annual forest loss for 2001–2021 was also determined using the Global Forest Change v1.6 dataset. The findings indicate a significant upward shift in the vegetation line at an average rate 0.03 m/year in the Kinnaur district over the past three decades (1990–2021), attributed to global warming. The shift in vegetation line has important implications for the region’s water resources and environmental stability. Additionally, the study highlights the extent of forest loss (0.48 km2 in 2000 and 0.14 km2 in 2021) in Kinnaur, driven by various factors, including construction activities, air pollution, forest fires, and unsustainable practices. To mitigate the environmental and social consequences, sustainable forest management and conservation strategies to protect and restore the fragile ecosystems of the Kinnaur District are essential.