Revitalizing Hill and Mountain Agroecosystems Landscapes: An Interdisciplinary Perspective

Hills and mountains play a critical role in sustaining global biodiversity, freshwater resources, cultural heritage, and ecological balance. Found in over 80% of the world’s countries, these landscapes offer indispensable services not only to their immediate inhabitants but also to populations far beyond. Nowhere is this more evident than in South and Southeast Asia--regions home to some of the planet’s most diverse mountain ecosystems and cultures. Yet these valuable ecosystems are increasingly at risk due to climate change, socio-economic pressures, and unsustainable land-use practices.

Revitalizing Hill and Mountain Agroecosystems Landscapes: An Interdisciplinary Perspective presents an insightful account of the challenges and opportunities facing these fragile landscapes. It combines ecological, cultural, socio-economic, and policy perspectives to analyze the complex interconnections shaping hill and mountain agroecosystems. This volume underscores the need for sustainable, inclusive, and resilient development strategies tailored to diverse geographic and cultural contexts.

Key features:

- A comprehensive interdisciplinary approach drawing from ecology, hydrology, agronomy, economics, sociology, climate science, and more

- Region-specific insights focused on South and Southeast Asia’s mountain ranges

- An indispensable roadmap for disaster risk reduction and sustainable resource management

- Peer-reviewed chapters written in both technical and accessible language, complemented by illustrations and case studies

- Practical frameworks for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on mountain ecosystem sustainability

This book is essential reading for scholars, practitioners, development planners, and policymakers interested in agroecosystem sustainability, environmental conservation, and rural development in mountainous regions. By bridging science and practice, it aims to inspire informed action to preserve and enhance hill and mountain landscapes for current and future generations.

Dinesh K. Marothia, Ph.D. (University of Alberta, Canadian Commonwealth Fellow), is a distinguished Agricultural and Natural Resource Economist with over four decades of pioneering contributions to academia, public policy, and international development. He currently serves as President of the Indian Society of Agricultural Economics (ISAE) and is a member of the Technical Advisory Board of the Global EverGreening Alliance--an international platform focused on restoring South Asia.

He was the Founding Professor and Head of India’s first academic Department of Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics at IGAU, Raipur, and held key academic leadership roles including Dean of Student Welfare and Dean of Dairy Technology. He has led interdisciplinary research initiatives supported by the global organizations. He also served as Decentralization Expert and Team Leader for the European Commission’s SPP-Chhattisgarh-India and as Senior Fellow at the World Agroforestry Centre-South Asia Region.

He has played a critical role in national policy-making as Chairman of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (GoI), Member of the Chhattisgarh State Planning Commission, and contributor to various committees of the former Planning Commission of India. He is the Founder Director of the India Natural Resource Economics and Management Foundation and served two terms as President of the National Institute of Ecology, New Delhi.

His influential publications include Natural Resource Economics (Co-edited, Oxford IBH, 1997), Institutionalizing Common Pool Resources (Concept, 2002), and Multiuse Wetlands Governance (Routledge, 2024). Widely traveled and published, he is a strong advocate for interdisciplinary, ecosystem-based approaches to resource governance and sustainability.

Prem Chand, Agricultural Economist by specialization, is currently Member (Official) in the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices (CACP), Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India on deputation since March 2025. He has been serving the Indian Council of Agricultural Research since April 2009. As a Senior Scientist at ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics since April 2017, he handled a number of research projects in the areas of policy research related to sustainable agriculture, agrobiodiversity, agroforestry, and land use planning. Before joining ICAR-National Institute of Agricultural Economics in April 2017, Dr. Chand served ICAR-Agricultural Technology Application Research Institute (ATARI) in Jabalpur for more than 7 years. During this period, he made substantial contributions to the frontline agricultural extension system.

He graduated in agriculture and completed his postgraduate studies in agricultural economics from Swami Keshwanand Rajasthan Agricultural University, Bikaner, and Doctorate in Dairy Economics from the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute in Karnal.

He has authored 3 Policy Papers, 3 Policy Briefs, 8 books/development reports/conference proceedings, more than 50 research papers published in both national and international journals, 25 book chapters, and number of general and opinion articles in leading newspapers and magazines. He has received prestigious awards, such as the Young Agricultural Economist Award from the Agricultural Economics Research Association, R T Doshi Award, Prof. N A Majumdar Award, and recognition by the Government of Madhya Pradesh and National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, New Delhi.

Kamal Vatta is a professor in the Department of Economics and Sociology at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana. He holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Economics from PAU and has received advanced training from Columbia University, New York, and the International Center for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA), Wageningen, the Netherlands. His work focuses on agricultural marketing, policy, rural livelihoods, and natural resource management.

He has served in various academic and leadership positions, including Head of Department and Founder Director of the Agricultural Marketing Innovations, Research and Intelligence Centre (AMIRIC). He also served as Director of the Centers for International Projects Trust (CIPT), affiliated with Columbia University, where he led research and outreach in several Indian states as well as Bhutan and Myanmar.

He has led 35 externally funded research projects supported by agencies such as USAID, IDRC, UNEP, and ICAR. He has authored 93 research papers, more than 75 technical and impact assessment reports, and an edited book. He has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses and guided several M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, along with international research fellows.

He has contributed to institutional development through the establishment of a data analytics lab, digitization of archival datasets, and initiation of large-scale field surveys. He has organized and participated in numerous national and international academic events and maintains active collaborations with institutions such as Kobe University and Columbia University, focusing on sustainability, crop diversification, groundwater management, and agri-market transitions.