Assessing vulnerability and adaptation strategies of forest dependent people to climate change in the Mid-hills of Nepal (original) (raw)
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vulnerability and adaptation stratigies of rural people to climate change in mid-hills of nepal
Climate change is considered as one of the most serious threats to natural resources, human health, people’s livelihood and sustainable development. This research entitled “Vulnerability and Adaptation Strategies of Rural People to Climate Change in Mid-Hills of Nepal” was carried out in Khanchikot VDC, Arghakhanchi district of Nepal with the aim of assessing and documenting vulnerability and adaptation strategies of rural people to climate change effects. Primary data were collected from household survey (11 % of the total households), interview with key informants, and group discussion with stratified random sampling and analyzed using SPSS 11.5 and MS Excel 2007. The average annual rainfall is decreasing at the rate of 18.02 mm per year whereas average annual mean temperature is increasing at the rate of 0.07°c per year. Major climatic hazards of the study were long drought and landslide and floods. The poor people are more vulnerable to long drought (ᵡ2 =16.69 with d.f.4 at 5% level of significance is significant) and landslide and floods (ᵡ2 = 12.31 with d.f.4 at 5% level of significance is significant) than rich rural people. Indigenous adaptation techniques are mostly used in the study area. 15% of the respondents have changed their cropping pattern from paddy to vegetables crops. Raising awareness and sharing information among the locals should be done to cope with climate change impact. Keywords: Vulnerability, Livelihood, Adaptation, Climatic hazard, Impact
Assessing Climate Change Adaptation Strategies of Rural People in Nepal
Nepalese Journal of Development and Rural Studies, 2018
This paper presents climate change adaptation strategies applying by the rural people living around Chedaguard Municipality ward no. 6 of Jajarkot district. Both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used in the survey and further data were obtained through focus group discussions, case study and participant observations techniques. In doing so, the fous was given to agriculture based livelihoods including forest, water resources, health sector, energy and natural land reform practices. Likewise, changing pattern of rainfall, temperature, humidity were analyzed. Existence of new diseases on agriculture, water resource dryness, forest degradation, forest fire, etc. has been explored resulting with degradation of agricultural production and productivity To adapt from the climate change of this impact, local people have been using Jeevatu, Sisnu, Titepati, Banmara, Khirro, etc. as a bio-pesticides. Similarly, people have used improved cooking stoves to protect forest and they ha...
CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT, VULNERABILITY AND LOCAL ADAPTION PRACTICES IN MID HILLS OF NEPAL
Key Words: Adaptive capacity, Disaster, People’s perception, Precipitation, Socio-economic vulnerability, Temperature, Vulnerability, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Health) The impact of climate change is even stronger in mountain region of Nepal, where the topography is fragile and agriculture is important for daily subsistence. Therefore, it is crucial to increase the understanding of the actual climate change dynamics on disaster and local coping mechanism at the household level. This study uses the Kahule Village Development Committee in central mountain region of Nepal, as a case study to examine the local climatic trends and its impacts, vulnerability and adaptation practices in community. The study uses semi-structured interview and participatory appraisal methods to collect the socio-economic data and field based observation. Socio-economic status of the people in the villages of Kahule VDC was found very poor and they were vulnerable to climate change. Trend analysis of temperature and precipitation indicate that this region was experiencing various weather variabilities. The result showed a trend of gradual, erratic and extreme weather changes where farming system is constrained. People's perceptions on climate change generally agree with the published reports. Erratic rainfall pattern, temperature variation and gradual reduction in snowfall were some of the main constraining factors on farming. Drought, landslide, delay in monsoon and heavy and unseasonal rain were major challenges. Majority of the people believed that crop failure, crop damage, degradation of pasture, low quality fodder and forage were due to the increase in temperature, erratic precipitation pattern and windstorms in their village. Most of the respondents believed that the agricultural production has decreased and have experienced unusual weather patterns which affect the productivity. Most of the communities experienced unusual weather pattern with negative impacts on agricultural production, increasing water scarcity and increased frequency of weather related disasters. The study found that the local adaptive capacity was poor. However, knowingly or unknowingly some coping strategies like use of sprinkle irrigation, use of new varieties of crops, use re-sowing, cultivating catch crops and short seasoned crops, shifting to less landslide risk area, planting fodder tress, saving of grains and money, and credits as a strategy were found adopted . The existing local and institutional strategies were not sufficient and sustainable to cope with climate change variation, so there is an urgent need to formulate adaptive strategies for food securities and for dealing with water scarcities and climate change induced disasters. It is very important to address the problems in this region with institutional support and through a long-term policy perspective.
2020
Climate change has become more than an abstract problem to be discussed among academia at a global level. This problem has threatened human civilization in many ways. This study has aimed to analyze the determinants of peoples’ adaptation strategies against climate change impact on agricultural activities in Nepal. It utilized the data generated from nationally representative samples of the National Climate Change Impact Survey, 2016 conducted by the Central Bureau of Statistics (CBS). The total sample size of this survey was 5060 households. The results of binary logistic regression analysis revealed that people in later ages as compared with their younger counterparts; people living in subtropical and temperate climatic zones are more likely to adapt different agricultural strategies against climate change impact as compared with the tropical region. Similarly, people who do not utilize agricultural mechanization are more likely to adapt to various adaptation strategies as compare...
Rural coping and adaptation strategies for climate change by Himalayan communities in Nepal
Journal of Mountain Science, 2020
Climate change has major impacts on the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. The unpredictable weather conditions in rural Nepal have been attributed to a changing climate. This study explored the climate change adaptation and coping strategies that rural communities adopt for the conservation of natural resources and livelihoods in the mid-hills of Nepal. This paper explored major climatic hazards, assessed different coping and adaptation measures, and barrier faced to climate change adaptation based on perceptions by forest-dependent communities. We conducted focus group discussions, questionnaire surveys, and semistructured interviews with local communities and stakeholders. The results showed that rural communities had experienced significant impacts of climate change and variability. In response, they are practicing diverse coping and adaptation strategies, including the construction of bioengineering structures and planting different species that grow quickly and establish promptly.
Differential impacts of climate change on communities in the middle hills region of Nepal
Natural Hazards, 2014
There is a growing understanding that the impacts of climate change affect different communities within a country, in a variety of ways-not always uniformly. This article reports on research conducted in the middle hills region of Nepal that explored climate change vulnerability in terms of exposure, sensitivity and adaptive capacity across different well-being groups, genders of the head of household and household location. In the study region, dry land farming has increasingly experienced climate-induced changes to farm productivity and natural resources. The experience of vulnerability to decreased livelihood options and natural resource hazards due to a changing climate varied according to household wealth and well-being status, with very poor and poor households more vulnerable than medium and well-off households. The research indicates that the climate change adaptation would benefit by considering: (i) differential impacts of vulnerability mainly based on well-being status of households; (ii) understanding of the local sociopolitical context and underlying causes of vulnerability and its application; and (iii) identifying vulnerable populations for the units of vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning.
Regional Environmental Change, 2012
Farming in Nepal mostly represents the hill farming system with the dominance of smallholder farmers. In recent days, farmers in the country are impacted by climate change. Events of surface runoff, landslides, and soil erosions, along with changes in rainfall pattern and intensity have elevated a decline in crop productivity and soil fertility. Considering the situation, a pilot project on Resilient Mountain Village was implemented in Kavrepalanchowk district of Nepal from 2014-2016 with a participatory approach to demonstrate climate-smart practices. These practices include the application of locally prepared bio-fertilizer (named as "jholmal"), green manuring in rice (Oryza sativa L.) and mulching in bitter-gourd (Momordica charantia L.) to determine crop yields compared to farmers' business as usual practice. The results showed that there was a significant effect of jholmal in rice production during 2015-2016 when compared to farmers' business as usual practice. Likewise, green manuring also showed a significant difference in rice yield compared to farmers' usual practice in 2015-2016. Bitter-gourd yields were significantly higher in mulching treatment compared to the farmers' business as usual practice in 2015 and 2016. Rice yield increased by at least 10.1% and 8.1% while using jholmal and green manuring, respectively, whereas bitter-gourd yield Roshan Subedi ABOUT THE AUTHOR Roshan Subedi has worked as Project Coordinator at Center for Environmental Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) for Resilient Mountain Village (RMV) project from 2015-2018. He is now working as Assistant Research Associate at International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). He has extensive experience of working with a community in agriculture development projects in Nepal. His research mainly includes adaptation to climate change at the community for building resilience to climate change. He also has an interest in carbon smart farming, sustainable food production system with food, water, and energy nexus. PUBLIC INTEREST STATEMENT Nepal is a mountainous country where hill farming system is dominantly practiced. In recent days, climate change has impacted agriculture and thus affected the livelihood of people depending on agriculture. Rainfall has been unpredictable, temperature is rising, extreme weather events such as flood, drought, and water scarcity are impacting the food production system. Adaptation at a local level is necessary to adjust to the changing scenario. Resilient Mountain Village, an integrated approach that combines social, economic, and environmental dimensions of sustainable development with climate change adaptation, resilience, and preparedness to future risks. It aims to test, demonstrate, and disseminate simple, affordable, and replicable climate-smart practices. This paper aims to bring results from eight villages of Kavre district to scale out the adaptive technologies. The results can be beneficial in planning for adaptation measures to smallholder farmers residing in the mountain region.
Household and community responses to impacts of climate change in the rural hills of Nepal
Climatic Change, 2018
The research was designed to answer how households and local communities in rural Nepal are responding to the impacts of climate change. Using four villages as case study units, a mixed method approach was adopted in a multi-scaled process carried out at community, district and national levels. The research found that adaptation practices being adopted differ according to household well-being and are largely governed by access to education, information and resources within the community. Responses such as livelihood and income diversification, internal migration, share cropping, taking consumption loans, use of alternative energy and use of bio-pesticides were found to mostly vary according to well-being status of the interviewees. Development of adaptation plans, strategies and support mechanisms should take account of the different adaptation practices and needs of households. If such individual situations are not considered, adaptation responses may be ineffective or even be maladaptive and increase vulnerability. The research also found that the autonomous, unplanned and reactive nature of adaptation practices chosen by rural communities can contribute to further inequity and unequal power relations. The knowledge generated from this research contributes to understanding of how climate change contributes to vulnerability, but also how local practices and lack of an effective climate policy or response measures may magnify the effects of many existing drivers of vulnerability in terms of maladaptation and increasing social inequalities.
Annals of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, 2018
Limited understandings of the impacts of climate change and lack of local research have proven to be major challenges for the Nepalese agricultural sector. A study was carried out in Latikoili VDC of Surkhet district aiming to identify impacts of climate change, examine people's perception, and assess existing adaptation measures practiced on agriculture. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was done to the data collected from primary and secondary sources. The climatic data revealed; the trend of temperature has increased and rainfall has substantially decreased over past 29 years. The results showed most of the respondents perceived change in climate and farming system such as delay of monsoon, erratic rainfall pattern, increased temperature resulting drought associated with decrease in water sources, shifting cultivation, planting and flowering time. The adaptation measures such as adapting improved seed varieties with change in planting time, IPM practices, and plastic pond to store waste water have been practiced to combat climate change. Sharing information and raising awareness among people can be done to enhance livelihood.