The Himalayan region is experiencing population growth and a process of rapid urbanization. At the same time the existing government structure is struggling to provide basic services to the burgeoning urban population and does not have the financial or human resources to address urban risk. This dissertation explores how this problem can be addressed by urban risk governance rather than ‘all-of-society’ engagement. The rapidly urbanizing town of Almora in the Uttarakhand Himalayas is selected as a case study. Primary sources of data are government documents pertaining to land-use planning and building regulation, 150 household surveys as well as 24 key informant interviews. The dissertation identifies gaps in the existing government framework of land use and building regulation while arguing for the adoption of the concept of urban risk governance. However, various challenges to achieving a working model are revealed when risk governance is contextualized in the case of Almora. These are related to the local level developmental process, formal and informal actors as well as local risk knowledge. Such challenges must be resolved in order to successfully implement urban risk governance.