Founded in 1981, the Central Himalayan Environment Association (CHEA) was one of the earliest non-profit organizations to be registered in Northern India with 'environment and rural livelihoods in the Himalayas' in its core mission. CHEA has since espoused many mountain causes and engaged actively in action-research and scores of livelihood-related projects. CHEA’s initiatives focus on four themes in the Indian Himalayan region: Climate change, specifically as it relates to mountains and adaptation interventions for mountain regions; Rural livelihood initiatives in mountain regions for reducing poverty through enterprise development; Arts, culture and handicraft promotion in mountains; and Documentation of regional best practices in mountain regions in order to influence policy decisions. CHEA's engages in field work and policy and advocacy. Its two long-term programme commitments are: The Indian Mountain Initiative; and Strengthening of Van Panchayats (Village Community Forestry Council).