Understanding and Tackling Poverty and Vulnerability in Mountain Livelihoods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Gioli, Giovanna; Thapa, Ganesh; Khan, Fawad; Dasgupta, Purnamita; Nathan, Dev; Chhetri, Netra; Adhikari, Lipy; Mohanty, Sanjay K.; Aurino, Elisabetta; Scott, Laura Mapstone

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_12

Cited by 39 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…Nepal is a mountainous developing country (Human Development Index, HDI-0.579) where there is evidence of acute adaptation needs in mountain areas as well as significant efforts to address climate-related challenges (McDowell et al 2019;Mishra et al 2019;Rasul et al 2019;Sud et al 2015). Adaptation needs emerge largely as a result of climate-related changes such as rising temperatures, glacial recession, and changing precipitation dynamics as well as social factors that increase sensitivity and reduce adaptability such as reliance on resource-based livelihoods, limited state support, and poverty (Bolch et al 2019;Gioli et al 2019;Sapkota et al 2016). Such climatic and non-climatic drivers of vulnerability are also common in other high mountain areas of the Global South (Hock et al 2019).…”

Section: Nepal Case Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

From needs to actions: prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities

et al. 2020

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Adaptation needs in high mountain communities are increasingly well documented, yet most efforts to address these needs continue to befall mountain people who have contributed little to the problem of climate change. This situation represents a contravention of accepted norms of climate justice and calls attention to the need for better understanding of prospects for externally resourced adaptation initiatives in high mountain areas. In response, this paper examines the architecture of formal adaptation support mechanisms organized through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and how such mechanisms might help to meet adaptation needs in high mountain communities. It outlines key global adaptation initiatives organized through the UNFCCC, clarifies idealized linkages between these global adaptation initiatives and meeting local adaptation needs, and evaluates actual progress in connecting such support with discrete adaptation needs in the upper Manaslu region of Nepal. The paper then critically examines observed shortcomings in matching adaptation support organized through the UNFCCC with local adaptation needs, including complications stemming from the bureaucratic nature of formal adaptation support mechanisms, the intervening role of the state in delivering aid, and the ways in which these complexities intersect with the specific socio-cultural contexts of mountain communities. It concludes by highlighting several prospects for increasing the quantity and quality of adaptation support to mountain communities. These opportunities are considered alongside several salient concerns about formal adaptation support mechanisms in an effort to provide a well-rounded assessment of the prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities.

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Section: Nepal Case Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

From needs to actions: prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities

et al. 2020

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“…As these communities rely on natural resources for their livelihood, they are more vulnerable to climate change impacts than those not dependent on natural resources (Mcdowell, Ford, Lehner, Berrang-Ford, & Sherpa, 2013) and have limited capacity to adapt (Aggarwal & Singh, 2010). The HKH region of which Nepal is a part is home to many of these economically, socially, and politically marginalized people (Gioli et al, 2019). Location, livelihood strategies, income sources and crops, and access to food and facilities, all contribute notably to the vulnerability of the rural, hilly and mountainous households of the HKH regions (Aryal, Brunton, & Raubenheimer, 2014;Mcdowell et al, 2013;Pandey, Cockfield, & Maraseni, 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Climate change adaptation by subsistence and smallholder farmers: Insights from three agro-ecological regions of Nepal

Karki

Burton

Mackey

2020

Cogent Social Sciences

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The unprecedented challenges posed by climate change necessitate agricultural adaptation by farmers, especially in the regions of Asia, where rain-fed agriculture is the principal source of food production. Studying adaptation not only assists in knowing how farmers are dealing with the repercussions of climate change, but also provides the baseline for the planned interventions which are essential in this era of human-instigated climate change. We used case study data to examine whether and how subsistence-oriented smallholder farmers in three agro-ecological zones of Nepal (Terai, Hill, and Mountain) are developing and implementing adaptation strategies. The findings from small farm household interviews (n = 384), key informant interviews (n = 33), and focus group discussions (n = 3) suggest that farmers are dealing with the challenges facing their traditional agricultural practices. The main adaptation strategies include changing crop types and varieties, adding fertilizers, the use of new technologies, soil and water management, diversification of income sources, and migration. Both climatic and nonclimatic factors were found to influence these subsistence smallholder farmers' adaptation practices. However, climatic factors that are beyond individual control threatened the livelihood of rural farmers who predominantly rely on natural resources for their livelihood and income. The findings highlight the interplay of multiple agents: local farmers, community-based organizations, and the local and ABOUT THE AUTHORS Sikha Karki holds a master's degree in Biodiversity and Environment Management from the University of Bergen, Norway and Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Currently, she is doing her PhD at Griffith University, Australia. Her research focuses on the impacts of climate change and food security on farm households in Nepal.

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“…The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment (hereafter HKH Assessment; Wester et al 2019) showed that the region is facing many sustainable development challenges and stands on the front line of the climate crisis. Poverty rates in the mountainous areas of the HKH, at around 33%, are higher than the national average of 25% in the 8 HKH countries (Gioli et al 2019). Food and nutritional insecurity remain a serious challenge in the HKH region; more than 30% of the population suffers from food insecurity, and around 50% face some form of malnutrition, with women and children particularly vulnerable (Rasul et al 2019).…”

Section: The Pulse Of the Planetmentioning

confidence: 98%

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Call to Action: Sustaining Mountain Environments and Improving Livelihoods

Wester

Rathore

Vasily

et al. 2020

Mountain Research and Development

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Understanding and Tackling Poverty and Vulnerability in Mountain Livelihoods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Cited by 39 publications

References 90 publications

From needs to actions: prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities

From needs to actions: prospects for planned adaptations in high mountain communities

Climate change adaptation by subsistence and smallholder farmers: Insights from three agro-ecological regions of Nepal

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Call to Action: Sustaining Mountain Environments and Improving Livelihoods

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