What specific environmental challenge necessitates the use of dried yak dung for Himalayan peoples?

Wood is scarce due to the high altitude, making dung vital for cooking and heating fuel

In the remote, high-altitude environments where yaks are essential to the cultures that rely on them, resources like timber for fuel are extremely scarce due to environmental constraints limiting tree growth. Consequently, dried yak dung becomes an indispensable survival resource. It is collected, dried, and used as a primary source of fuel for essential daily activities such as cooking food and providing necessary heating to combat the extreme cold inherent to the plateau environment. This underscores the multi-purpose utility of the yak, which supplies nearly every necessity of life in that setting.