Ecological Challenges and Vulnerability Assessment for Exploring the Adaptation-Development Nexus for Sustainability in Alaknanda River Basin, Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

Climate change is increasingly recognized as critical challenges to hazards, ecological challenges, human well-being, food security, agriculture and sustainable development in the Alaknanda river basin. Climate change has a greater impact on rural livelihoods and its sustainability. Anthropogenic activities are continuously disturbing the natural system of the Garhwal Himalaya and its impact on extreme hydrological events. Human interference, unscientific developmental activities, agriculture extension, tourism activity and road construction are creating hydrological hazards. Soil erosion and landslide have been recognized as major hazards in the high altitude region of Himalaya. The climate variability and its vulnerability studies can help to identify the vulnerability of a region towards climate change which further helps in the formulation of mitigation and adaptation strategies. This research paper proposes a GIS-based analysis for identifying hazards and ecological challenges for the purpose of sustainable development planning. Present research includes a combination of qualitative and quantitative research approaches for livelihood vulnerability assessment and its adaptation for sustainable development determined mainly by a weighted matrix index. For this purpose, Hazards Zonation Mapping using Geo-Spatial techniques was carried out so as to classify the land surface into zones of varying degree of hazards. For this analysis, a qualitative research method including participatory research approach (PRA) at village level has been used for ecological challenges and risk assessment. This parameter is important in building resilience capacity and ensuring sustainable development pathways and provides the various mitigation processes from extreme climatic events. This paper has suggested the policy to improve the transfer of scientific knowledge into policy and to increase mutual understanding, partnership, and cooperation for better policy outputs in sustainability and mitigate the ecological challenges and improved the livelihood security. These approaches will be useful in building collaborative arrangements across political and administrative barriers and boundaries to govern at the scale of the sustainability challenge to way towards the Sustainable Development Goal.