Climatic Variability and Impacts on Biodiversity at Local Level : A case Study from Kanchanjanga Conservation Area, Nepal

Abstract

The global climate system is a consequence of and link between the atmosphere, the oceans, the ice sheets, living organisms, soils, sediments, rocks and changes continuously over a timescale. However, the climate in certain location varies between more or less extreme states and events called the climate variability, such as severe droughts, heavy rainfall, or unusually hot or cold weather. Recently, the occurrence of extreme weather or climatic events has been used to indicate overall climate change. Over the past few decades, human activity has significantly altered the atmospheric composition, leading to climate change of an unprecedented character. The average surface temperature of the earth has increased between 0.3 C and 0.6 C over the past hundred years and the increase in global temperature is predicted to increase between 3.5 Celsius (C) and 5.5 C by 2100 for the Indian sub continent (IPCC, 2001a) and even greater increase is predicted for the Tibetan Plateau (Lal, 2002). Annual warming in the Himalayan region between 1977– 1994 was 0.06 C (Shrestha et al., 1999). As per the third assessment report of the IPCC, the spatial average annual mean warming over the Asian region is projected to be as much as by 3 C by 2050 and about 5 C by the 2080s as a result of continued green house gas emission. Multiple consequences globally or locally are experiencing around the globe. For instance, a 1 C rise in temperature will cause alpine glaciers worldwide to shrink as much as 40% in area and more than 50% in volume as compared to 1850 (IPCC, 2001b). Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has also estimated that climate change and its implications can reduce crop yields up to 30% in the South Asian region. Located in the eastern Himalayan region, Kanchanjunga Conservation Area (KCA) is an extraordinarily high mountain chain, encompassing many varied cultures and an extensive diversity of flora and fauna (Table 1). This study was carried out to know the climate change impacts mainly on freshwater, biodiversity, vegetation and livelihood. Climatic Variability and Impacts on Biodiversity at Local Level: A case Study from Kanchanjanga Conservation Area, Nepal