Sikkim is a small, mountainous, Indian state (7,096 km2) located in the eastern Himalayan region. Though a global biodiversity hotspot, it has been relatively less studied. A detailed forest type, density and change dynamics study was undertaken, using SATELLITE remote sensing data and intensive field verification.

Sikkim is a small, mountainous, Indian state (7,096 km2) located in the eastern Himalayan region. Though a global biodiversity hotspot, it has been relatively less studied. A detailed forest type, density and change dynamics study was undertaken, using satellite remote sensing data and intensive field verification. The landscape was found to be dominated by alpine and nival ecosystems, with a large portion above the tree line, considerable snow cover, and a sizeable area under forest cover (72%,
5,094 km2).

With impacts of climate change becoming increasingly visible locally, identification of areas vulnerable to climate change risks is emerging as an urgent policy need. The present study responds to this requirement by identifying the most vulnerable villages using a rapid, cost-effective and highresolution methodology. We provide a preliminary, village-level, climate-related vulnerability assessment of the rural communities in Sikkim, India.