Resilience, sustainability and equity: COVID-19 and mountain livelihoods

In the west Himalayan mountain state of Himachal Pradesh where 90% of the population is rural, of which close to two thirds is dependent on land-based livelihoods, we examine the impacts of the initial phases of the COVID-19-led lockdown. Experiences of both horticulturalists and subsistence farmers highlight that challenges rooted in long-brewing socio-political, economic and ecological imbalances were brought to the fore starkly during this crisis. We argue that if the livelihood interests of mountain people have to be protected along with the local ecology, state policies will have to revolve around the principles of equity, sustainability and resilience.