Adapting to climate change in Himalayan cold deserts

Abstract

Purpose -Climate change affects the natural resource base and poses enormous difficulty for the natural resource-dependent indigenous population of the cold desert region in the high altitude Himalayas. The interplay of climatic and eco-hydrological processes on these fragile ecosystem coupled with increasing anthropogenic pressure, are leading to increasing stress on indigenous agro-pastoral communities and their livelihoods. The purpose of this paper is to summarize the outcomes of a study carried out in the Trans and Western Indian Himalayas to quantify the level of environmental threat and adaptive capacity. Design/methodology/approach -Field studies were carried out across the cold desert belt in Indian Himalaya. A stratified, nested sampling across four Altitude Bands and three hydrological levels in two bio-geographic regions. A participatory approach blended with scientific field observations and secondary data collection was adopted. Criterion variables were used to identify the "Vulnerability Hotspots" while component indices helped in depiction of key characteristic features of study units. Findings -Data generated through participatory resource appraisal and scientific field observations were used to determine vulnerable "hotspot's", identifying the driving factors (both anthropogenic and natural processes), and determining focus areas for interventions. Practical implications -A pilot project on Water Access and Wasteland Development has been initiated in the Western Himalayas that integrates community based natural resource management with infusion of appropriate technology to address water stress and ecosystem vulnerability. Originality/value -The research results identify target areas and methodologies for intervention, while the pilot initiative strives to ensure that disadvantaged cold desert mountain communities have access to resources and skills for effective management of these resources.

What drives the vulnerability of pastoralists to global environmental change? A qualitative meta-analysis

“…water storage for agriculture), and the adoption of wage labor migration and child labor among pastoral families should be noted (e.g. Banerji and Basu, 2010;Mark et al, 2010;Ng'ang'a et al, 2011). In contrast, pastoralists are reported as being less likely to adopt strategies related to mobility and communal pooling than in the average of the selected case-studies.…”

Glaciers and society: attributions, perceptions, and valuations

“…In many glacier‐fed watersheds, agriculture and pastoralism are dependent on the all‐year water supply from the mountain glaciers, and receding glaciers are challenging the livelihood of the local population. In the cold desert region of the Indian Himalaya, Banerji and Basu (Ref , pp. 439–440) report that where glacier‐fed streams constitute the primary source of water, the depleting water sources, due to glacier recession and erratic precipitation patterns, have led to reduced crop yield.…”