Abstract ID: 3.11136 | Accepted as Talk | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

Agricultural land abandonment rates in mountainous and hill areas are higher than in other region. The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region has attributes to mountainous areas, termed “mountain specificities” which complicates agricultural practices. Therefore, the area under agricultural use has been shrinking substantially in many areas of this region. Despite the drivers and consequences being well-known, there is insufficient information on the land transition following abandonment. This study aimed to assess the trajectory of land-use following agricultural abandonment, along with the associated drivers and consequences, through extensive literature review. Most of the literature reported that re-vegetation was the most obvious land-use trajectory following abandonment, while few return to agricultural uses and other land, predominately influenced by socio-economic and institutional drivers. The re-vegetated land contributed to regulating ecosystem services, such as improvements in soil quality, climate regulation, and land stability. However, cases of human wildlife conflict have also increased significantly. Although abandoned agricultural land bring opportunities for biodiversity conservation and increase greenery, the utilization of abandoned land through low-labor intensive agriculture is crucial for reviving the rural livelihoods and ecosystems.