Overharvesting and climate pressures are depleting Nepal’s prized Himalayan herbs like yarsagumba, pushing mountain communities from prosperity back into poverty and migration.

In the rugged highlands of Bajhang district in Nepal’s Sudurpaschim Province, families once thrived on the seasonal bounty of yarsagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis), wild garlic, satuwa, and other medicinal herbs. Known as “Himalayan gold,” these resources transformed subsistence farmers into relatively prosperous households, funding education, housing, and urban land purchases. Today, that economic lifeline is unravelling due to rampant overharvesting, habitat degradation, and climate change.

Sixty-two-year-old Junkiri Bohara of Surma Rural Municipality exemplifies the shift. Eight years ago, her family earned Rs1 million to Rs1.2 million annually from herb collection during the three-month season, supplementing meagre farmland yields. Now widowed and in debt after her husband’s illness, she crushes stones along the Bahuligad river for a pittance – enough for basic rent and food, but far from the stability of the past. Her sons have migrated to India for work, leaving her reliant on a single women’s allowance during illnesses.

Similar stories echo across Surma, Saipal, Talkot, and other rural municipalities. Communities that had largely abandoned seasonal labour migration to India a decade ago are reversing course, locking homes and relocating families en masse. In one village of about 400 households in Jayaprithvi Municipality, over 70 families have abandoned their properties.

Economic Boom and Rapid Decline

The surge began in the early 2000s. Yarsagumba, a fungus-parasitized caterpillar highly valued in traditional Chinese medicine, fetched premium prices. Collectors in Bajhang could gather hundreds of pieces daily, with district trade estimated at around Rs. 2 billion annually until 2021-22. Families like Dhanya Bohara’s built concrete houses, bought land in district headquarters, and educated children in cities.

Data from Bajhang’s Division Forest Office illustrates the collapse: yarsagumba exports peaked at 424 kg between 2008-2013 but fell to 136 kg by 2025-26. Prices have plummeted from Rs 3 million per kg (2009-2011) to under Rs 800,000 last year. Wild garlic exports dropped from 4,428 kg in 2021-22 to 1,800 kg recently, while satuwa nearly vanished after restrictions. Other species like kutaki and setakchini show steep declines. Overall herb trade in the district has contracted by about 70 per cent.

Traders like Dan Bahadur Surmeli, president of the Bajhang Chamber of Commerce and Industry, report personal volumes shrinking from Rs 250 million to Rs 10-15 million annually. Advance payments to collectors often go unrecovered, leading to debt cycles for both parties.

Broader studies confirm vulnerability. The IUCN lists yarsagumba and satuwa as vulnerable, citing a 30 per cent population decline over 15 years due to excessive harvesting. Medicinal plants contribute roughly 40 per cent of household income in many Himalayan communities, making the downturn devastating.

Drivers of Depletion: Overharvesting and Beyond

Indiscriminate practices are a primary culprit. Collectors uproot plants like wild garlic and satuwa before seed maturity – often as early as April instead of late June – preventing regeneration. For yarsagumba, the “jhadu laune” method of clearing grass and digging exposes larvae, destroying future yields.

Climate Change Compounds the Crisis

Environmental scientist Uttam Babu Shrestha highlights erratic snowfall, rising temperatures, and shifting ecosystems as major stressors. Studies predict reduced climatically suitable areas for many medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs), threatening not just local incomes but Nepal’s exports, which have historically supported rural economies and national GDP contributions from the sector.

Deforestation, fuelled by firewood demands (thousands of collectors burn significant amounts daily), sheep grazing, and seasonal grass fires set deliberately or accidentally, further degrades habitats. Waste accumulation – over 40,000 quintals in some areas – pollutes meadows, inhibiting growth. ICIMOD research underscores these cumulative impacts in places like Saipal.

These issues extend beyond Bajhang across Nepal’s Himalayas, where commercial demand from China and other global markets drives pressure. Unsustainable techniques, including destructive harvesting of roots and rhizomes, hinder natural recovery, especially for herbaceous species.

Human and Social Toll

The fallout is multifaceted. Children are pulled from urban schools due to unaffordable fees. Families face mounting debts, food insecurity, and health strains. Women and elderly, like Junkiri, shoulder gruelling manual labour in riverbeds. Migration disrupts communities, leaving ghost villages and straining social fabrics.

Psychological impacts are evident: the loss of a reliable income source that once freed people from menial labour abroad has bred frustration and helplessness. Gender dynamics shift as women increasingly enter low-wage work to sustain households.

Paths to Recovery: Sustainable Practices and Alternatives

Experts and officials emphasise integrated solutions. Plant conservationist Reshu Basyal calls for awareness, regulation, reduced illegal harvesting, and alternative livelihoods. Division Forest Office chief Shambhu Tiwari stresses collaboration among local governments, collectors, authorities, and the private sector.

Ongoing initiatives offer hope. Projects by ANSAB and TRAFFIC promote sustainable trade, harvester training, traceability, and community forestry management for species like jatamansi. National surveys of medicinal herbs are underway, and cultivation efforts in highland areas have shown success in boosting incomes while easing wild pressure.

Spatio-temporal harvest regulations, protected refugia, and fair-trade models could balance conservation with economic needs. Promoting cultivation of select species, eco-tourism, or value-added processing (e.g., local herbal products) may diversify incomes.

A Fragile Future for Himalayan Wealth

Nepal’s Himalayan herbal wealth, a cornerstone of biodiversity and rural economies, stands at a crossroads. Without urgent action – enforcing sustainable harvesting, mitigating climate impacts, and fostering alternatives – the unravelling of mountain livelihoods will accelerate, with ripple effects on cultural heritage, biodiversity, and national exports.

Communities like those in Bajhang demonstrate remarkable resilience, but they cannot sustain the current trajectory alone. Coordinated efforts at local, national, and international levels are essential to restore balance, ensuring future generations can harness the Himalayas’ riches without depleting them. The “Himalayan gold” rush must evolve into responsible stewardship if these unique ecosystems and their people are to endure.