Impacts of Climate Change on Farm Based Livelihood: A Study of Panchkhal

Abstract

Agriculture serves as the mainstay of Nepal's economy, sustaining livelihoods for a significant portion of the population and contributing substantially to Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This study conducted in Panchkhal Municipality of Kavrepalanchok district, employed a qualitative approach of research to explore lived experience of farmers regarding the impacts of climate change on their livelihoods. Through the use of both primary and secondary data, the research finds that climate change has caused a number of problems for the farmers in Panchkhal, such as reduced water availability due to drying up of small streams and disappearance of springs affecting the rain-fed farming. Additionally, farmers grapple with rising incidences of pests and diseases in crops, health problems associated with pesticide use, lower productivity, flooding, and a move away from farming. The two biggest effects that stood out among them were the scarcity of water and the increase in diseases and pests in crops. The study also underscores farmers' heightened awareness of climate change impacts and extreme weather events with a particular emphasis on the perceptible decrease in rainfall frequency and volume, along with delayed monsoon onset.