Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Climate Change Impacts on Glacier-fed and Non-glacier-Fed Ecosystems of the Indian Himalayan Region: People’s Perception and Adaptive Strategies


Affiliations
1 Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
2 Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190 006, India
3 Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190 006, India
4 Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, North-East Regional Centre, Itanagar 791 113, India
5 CSIR: North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat, Imphal 795 004, India
 

Mountains are considered as the early indicators of climate change. The study aims to understand how the Himalayan communities perceive climate change, and how this change has impacted the livelihood and sustenance of local people particularly in the remote and rural areas of the region. In view of this, 994 households of 25 villages were interviewed from five basins (five villages per basin) of the Indian Himalayan Region. Their perceptions mainly of climate change were validated/compared with the available climatic indices. People perceived rainfall pattern to be less predictable, greater change in land-use pattern, adverse impacts on forests and human health and overall reduction in their harvests. Seasonal increase in temperature was also reported. Capacity-building programmes for the inhabitants, including the most vulnerable communities in the wake of climate change would be significantly fruitful by way of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Keywords

Adaptive Strategies, Climate Change, Glacierfed and Non-glacier-fed Ecosystems, People’s Perception.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • Singh, S. P., Singh, V. and Skutsch, M., Rapid warming in the Himalayas: ecosystem responses and development options. Climate Dev., 2010, 2, 221–232.

  • IPCC, Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerability; Part A: Global and Sectoral Aspects, Contribution of Working Group II to the Fifth Assessment Report, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 2014.

  • Devkota, R. P., Climate change: trends and people’s perception in Nepal. J. Environ. Prot., 2014, 5, 255–265.

  • Aggarwal, P. K., Impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. J. Plant Biol., 2003, 30, 189–198.

  • Dimri, A. P. and Dash, S. K., Winter time climatic trends in the western Himalayas. Climate Change, 2012, 111, 775–800.

  • Shekhar, M. S., Chand, H., Kumar, S., Srinivasan, K. and Ganju, A., Climate change studies in the western Himalaya. Ann. Glaciol., 2010, 51, 105–112.

  • Islam, Z. U., Rao, L. A. K., Zargar, A. H., Ahmad, S. and Khan, M. A., Temperature variability in Himalayas and threat to the glaciers in the region: a study aided by remote sensing and GIS. J. Environ. Res. Dev., 2008, 3, 496–505.

  • Bhutiyani, M. R., Kale, V. S. and Pawar, N. J., Climate change and the precipitation variations in the northwestern Himalaya: 1866–2006. Int. J. Climatol., 2010, 30, 535–548.

  • Shafiq, M. U. I., Islam, Z. U., Ahmad, W. S., Bhat, M. S. and Ahmed, P., Recent trends in precipitation regime of Kashmir valley, India. Disaster Adv., 2019, 12, 1–11.

  • Vogt, K. A. et al., Indigenous knowledge informing management of tropical forests: the link between rhythms in plant secondary chemistry and lunar cycles. Ambio, 2002, 31, 485–490.

  • Byg, A. and Salick, J., Local perspectives on a global phenomenonclimate change in eastern Tibetan villages. Global Environ. Change, 2009, 19, 156–166.

  • Chaudhary, P. and Bawa, K. S., Local perceptions of climate change validated by scientific evidence in the Himalayas. Biol. Lett., 2011, 7, 767–770.

  • Chaudhary, P., Rai, S., Wangdi, S., Mao, A., Rehman, N., Chhetri, S. and Bawa, K. S., Consistency of local perceptions of climate change in the Kangchenjunga Himalayas landscape. Curr. Sci., 2011, 101, 1–10.

  • Vedwan, N. and Rhoades, R. E., Climate change in the western Himalayas of India: a study of local perception and response. Climate Res., 2001, 19, 109–117.

  • Orlove, B., Roncoli, C., Kabugo, M. and Majugu, A., Indigenous climate knowledge in southern Uganda: the multiple components of a dynamic regional system. Climatic Change, 2010, 100, 243– 265.

  • Thomas, D. S. G., Twyman, C., Osbahr, H. and Hewitson, B., Adaptation to climate change and variability: farmer responses to intra-seasonal precipitation trends in South Africa. Climatic Change, 2007, 83, 301–322.

  • Chaturvedi, R. K., Ranjith, G. and Jayaraman, M., Impact of climate change on Indian forests: a dynamic vegetation modeling approach. Mitig. Adapt. Strat. Global Change, 2011, 16, 119–142.

  • Gopalakrishnan, R., Mathangi, J., Bala, G. and Ravindranath, N. H., Impact of climate change on Indian forests. Curr. Sci., 2011, 101, 348–355.

  • Sharma, E., Chettri, N., Tse-Ring, K., Shrestha, A. B., Jing, F., Mool, P. and Eriksson, M., Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in the Eastern Himalayas, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, 2009, pp. 1–29.

  • Patz, J. A., Campbell-Lendrum, D., Holloway, T. and Foley, J. A., Impact of regional climate change on human health. Nature, 2005, 438, 310–317.

  • Woodruff, R. E. and Guest, C. S., Predicting Ross River virus epidemics from regional weather data. Epidemiology, 2002, 13, 384– 393.

  • Kuniyal, J. C., Mountain expeditions: minimizing the impact. Environ. Impact Assess. Rev., 2002, 22, 561–581.

  • Vishvakarma, S. C. R., Kuniyal, J. C. and Rao, K. S., Climate change and its impact on apple cropping in Kullu Valley, NorthWest Himalaya, India. In Seventh International Symposium on Temperate Zone Fruits in the Tropics and Subtropics, NauniSolan, 14–18 October 2003.

  • Uprety, D. C. and Reddy, V. R., Rising Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide and Crops, Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, 2008.

  • Zahoor, U. L. and Khan, R. L. A., Climate change scenario in Kashmir Valley, India, based on seasonal and annual average temperature trends. Disaster Adv., 2013, 6, 30–40.

  • Thakur, N., Rishi, M., Sharma, D. A. and Keesari, T., Quality of water resources in Kullu Valley in Himachal Himalayas, India: perspective and prognosis. Appl. Water Sci., 2018, 8, 2–13.

  • Mishra, A., Changing climate of Uttarakhand, India. J. Geol. Geosci., 2014, 3, 163.

  • Kabir, M. I., Rahman, M. B., Smith, W., Lusha, M. A. F., Azim, S. and Milton, A. H., Knowledge and perception about climate change and human health: findings from a baseline survey among vulnerable communities in Bangladesh. BMC Public Health, 2016, 16, 266.

  • Debela, N., Mohammed, C., Bridle, K., Corkrey, R. and McNeil, D., Perception of climate change and its impact by smallholders in pastoral/agropastoral systems of Borana, South Ethiopia. Springer Plus, 2015, 4, 236.

  • Koul, M. N., Bahuguna, I. M., Rajawat, A., Ali, A. S. and Koul, S. S., Glacier area change over past 50 years to stable phase in Drass Valley, Ladakh Himalaya (India). Am. J. Climate Change, 2016, 5, 88–102.

  • Kulkarni, A. V., Rathore, B. P., Mahajan, S. and Mathur, P., Alarming retreat of Parbati Glacier, Beas Basin, Himachal Pradesh. Curr. Sci., 2005, 88, 1844–1850.

  • Kuniyal, J. C. and Samant, S. S., Black carbon and other aerosols loading, and their impact on melting of the Parbati Glacier in the northwestern Himalaya, India. Report (25.09.2013 to 24.09.2016) submitted to DST (SERB Ref. No: EMR/SR/DGH-43/2012, SB/SO/04/09/2013), New Delhi, 2016, pp. 1–11.

  • Singh, D. K., Thakur, P. K., Naithani, B. P. and Kaushik, S., Temporal monitoring of glacier change in Dhauliganga basin, Kumaun Himalaya using geo-spatial techniques. Ann. Photogramm. Remote Sensing Spat. Inf. Sci., 2018, 4, 203–207.

  • Negi, V. S., Maikhuri, R. K., Pharswan, D., Thakur, S. and Dhyani, P. P., Climate change impact in the western Himalaya: people’s perception and adaptive strategies. J. Mt. Sci., 2016, 14, 403–416.

  • Tripathi, A. and Singh, G. S., Perception, anticipation and responses of people to changing climate in the Gangetic plain of India. Curr. Sci., 2013, 105, 1673–1684.

  • Sharma, R. K. and Shrestha, D. G., Climate perceptions of local communities validated through scientific signals in Sikkim Himalaya, India. Environ. Monit. Assess, 2016, 188, 578.

  • Walther, G. R. et al., Ecological responses to recent climate change. Nature, 2002, 416, 389–395.

  • Rashid, I. et al., Projected climate change impacts on vegetation distribution over Kashmir Himalayas. Climate Change, 2015, 132, 601–613.

  • Thomas, C. D. et al., Extinction risk from climate change. Nature, 2014, 427, 145–148.

  • Gaira, K. S., Rawal, R. S., Rawat, B. and Bhatt, I. D., Impact of climate change on the flowering of Rhododendron arboreum in Central Himalaya, India. Curr. Sci., 2014, 106, 1735–1738.

  • Singh, S. P., Sharma, S. and Dhyani, P. P., Himalayan arc and treeline: distribution, climate change responses and ecosystem properties. Biodivers. Conserv., 2019, 28, 1997–2016.

  • Pandey, R., Kumar, P., Archie, K. M., Gupta, A. K., Joshi, P. K., Valente, D. and Petrosillo, I., Climate change adaptation in the Western-Himalayas: household level perspectives on impacts and barriers. Ecol. Indic., 2017, 84, 27–37.

  • Rautelala, P. and Karki, B., Impact of climate change on life and livelihood of indigenous people of higher Himalaya in Uttarakhand, India. Am. J. Environ. Prot., 2015, 3, 112–124.

  • Mukherji, A., Molden, D., Nepal, S., Rasul, G. and Wagnon, P., Himalayan waters at the crossroads: issues and challenges. Int. J. Water Resour. Dev., 2015, 31, 151–160.

  • Bajracharya, S. R., Mool, P. K. and Shrestha, B. R., Impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers and glacial lakes: case studies on GLOF and associated hazards in Nepal and Bhutan, ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2007, pp. 1–117.

  • Nathani, A. K., Nainwal, H. C., Sati, K. K. and Prasad, C., Geomorphological evidences of retreat of the Gangotri glacier and its characteristics. Curr. Sci., 2001, 80, 87–94.

  • Prasad, V. H. and Roy, P. S., Estimation of snowmelt runoff in the Beas basin, India. Geocarto Int., 2005, 20, 41–47.

  • Zunlan, C., Jishan, W. U. and Xueyong, G., Debris flow dam formation in southeast Tibet. J. Mt. Sci., 2005, 2, 155–163.

  • Gupta, G. P., Sediment production status report on data collection and utilization. Soil Conserv. Digest, 1975, 3, 10–21.

  • Upadhyayula, S. M., Mutheneni, S. R., Chenna, S., Parasaram, V. and Kadiri, M. R., Climate drivers on malaria transmission in Arunachal Pradesh, India. PLoS ONE, 2015, 10, 1–17.

  • Ministry of Environment, National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to climate change, Kathmandu, Nepal, 2010, pp. 1–77.

  • Kuniyal, J. C., Bhatt, S. U. and Singh, H. B., Anthropogenic impacts and their management options in different ecosystems of the Indian Himalayan Region. Curr. Sci., 2019, 117, 358–359.

  • Venugopal, R. and Yasir, S., The politics of natural disasters in protracted conflict: the 2014 flood in Kashmir. Oxf. Dev. Stud., 2017, 45, 424–442.

  • Bhatt, C. M. et al., Satellite-based assessment of the catastrophic Jhelum floods of September 2014, Jammu & Kashmir, India. Geomat. Nat. Hazards Risk, 2017, 8, 309–327.


Abstract Views: 370

PDF Views: 134




  • Climate Change Impacts on Glacier-fed and Non-glacier-Fed Ecosystems of the Indian Himalayan Region: People’s Perception and Adaptive Strategies

Abstract Views: 370  |  PDF Views: 134

Authors

Jagdish Chandra Kuniyal
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Nidhi Kanwar
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Ajay Singh Bhoj
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Kuldeep Singh Rautela
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Pramod Joshi
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Kireet Kumar
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora 263 643, India
Mohd Sharjeel Sofi
Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190 006, India
Sami Ullah Bhat
Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190 006, India
Irfan Rashid
Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar 190 006, India
Mahindra Singh Lodhi
Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment, North-East Regional Centre, Itanagar 791 113, India
Ch. Anniebesant Devi
CSIR: North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat, Imphal 795 004, India
Huidrom Birkumar Singh
CSIR: North-East Institute of Science and Technology, Branch Laboratory, Lamphelpat, Imphal 795 004, India

Abstract


Mountains are considered as the early indicators of climate change. The study aims to understand how the Himalayan communities perceive climate change, and how this change has impacted the livelihood and sustenance of local people particularly in the remote and rural areas of the region. In view of this, 994 households of 25 villages were interviewed from five basins (five villages per basin) of the Indian Himalayan Region. Their perceptions mainly of climate change were validated/compared with the available climatic indices. People perceived rainfall pattern to be less predictable, greater change in land-use pattern, adverse impacts on forests and human health and overall reduction in their harvests. Seasonal increase in temperature was also reported. Capacity-building programmes for the inhabitants, including the most vulnerable communities in the wake of climate change would be significantly fruitful by way of mitigation and adaptation strategies.

Keywords


Adaptive Strategies, Climate Change, Glacierfed and Non-glacier-fed Ecosystems, People’s Perception.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv120%2Fi5%2F888-899