Despite years of development intervention in the Himalayan states, both by the formal and informal sector, the life of people in the treacherous hilly terrain has not improved as per expectations. On the contrary, it has from bad to worse. The scars of misguided development have become all too familiar on the serene landscape.

It is, thus our responsibility to collectively address the problems and issues of the Himalayan region and work out strategies for interventions that will help tide over the dismal performance of development interventions. The creation of the Mountain Forum is a step in that direction. The Forum, it is expected, will address the issues in their entirety and devise ways and means of communicating its findings to a wider audience of development professionals and organisations in the region and beyond.

We as an organisation are committed to this consultative process which, I am sure, will bring about substantial changes in the way in which development work is being conducted in the Himalayan region. Furthermore, it will bring about policy changes through advocacy and lobby activities.