Chapter 7 - Climate-resilient pathways and nature-based solutions to reduce vulnerabilities to climate change in the Indian Himalayan Region

Abstract

The Himalayan region's higher-altitude ecosystems are among the world's most vulnerable geographic regions to climate change, such as abnormal floods, droughts, landslides, biodiversity loss, and food insecurity. These areas are designated critical zones with diversified biota regulating critical ecosystem functions and provisioning services. This chapter discusses how communities in the Himalayan region respond to climate change through mitigation, adaptation, and nature-based solutions. A robust mitigation and adaptation approach is required to reduce the vulnerability of resource-poor hill farmers while also ensuring the long-term sustainability of the Himalayan ecosystem. Climate change adaptation necessitates comprehensive adjustments in agriculture and ecosystem management methods. It comprises various responses, traditional knowledge systems, alternative solutions, and accessible and affordable technologies. In the Himalayas, climate change mitigation has been accomplished through traditional ecological knowledge such as preserving sacred sites, reforestation, afforestation, restoration programs, different agroforestry systems, and adding mulch and manure to the soil to increase soil carbon sequestration. In the Indian Himalayan region, nature-based solutions have become critical for adapting to climate change, mitigating its effects, reducing the likelihood of disasters, and boosting ecosystem and community resilience. It has emerged as a sustainable and efficient technique for repairing damaged ecosystems in the region. Cost-effective, low-tech, and scalable, it can address societal challenges in the most vulnerable communities when implemented correctly.