The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has not commissioned any dedicated study to establish a link between climate change and the increasing frequency and intensity of forest fires in the Himalayan region, a Parliamentary panel has noted.While the ministry acknowledged that rising temperatures, prolonged dry spells and increasing climate variability are contributing to forest fires in the region, it informed the panel that no specific research has yet been undertaken to establish a direct relationship between climate change and forest-fire trends.The panel concluded that a significant knowledge gap persists in this area and said the Himalayan region, given its ecological fragility, topographic complexity and high sensitivity to climatic shifts, requires dedicated, region-specific research rather than reliance on findings extrapolated from other forest ecosystems.It recommended that the ministry commission a region-specific study examining long-term trends in temperature, rainfall and dry spells alongside historical forest-fire data. The panel also called for research into how altitude and different forest types influence fire vulnerability and urged the development of predictive fire-risk models to strengthen early warning systems and preparedness.The committee observed that the western and eastern Himalayas face distinct fire risks and that a one-size-fits-all strategy would be ineffective. It said mitigation and adaptation measures should be tailored separately for each region.The panel further noted that, in the absence of a consolidated national record, the human toll of forest fires across states remains obscured, hampering accountability and evidence-based policymaking. It recommended that the ministry, in consultation with state governments, develop and maintain a centralised database recording forest-fire casualties and compensation paid to facilitate systematic monitoring and informed policy interventions.The committee also raised concerns over the country’s forest-fire monitoring system, noting that India continues to rely on foreign satellites for fire surveillance. It recommended that the Department of Space prioritise the development of a geostationary satellite capable of providing round-the-clock forest-fire monitoring.It further observed that only two National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) battalions are currently assigned forest-fire duties in the Himalayan region — one each for the western and eastern Himalayas.