Abstract
Knowledge of farmers’ perceptions of and adaptations to climate change is important to inform policies addressing the risk of climate change to farmers. This case study explored those issues in the Melamchi Valley of Nepal through a survey of 365 households and focus group discussions in 6 communities using a Community-Based Risk Screening Tool–Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL). Analysis of climate trends in the study area for 1979–2009 showed that mean annual temperatures rose by 1.02°C and the frequency of drought increased measurably after 2003. Farmers reported increases in crop pests, hailstorms, landslides, floods, thunderstorms, and erratic precipitation as climate-related hazards affecting agriculture. They responded in a variety of ways including changing farming practices, selling livestock, milk, and eggs, and engaging in daily wage labor and seasonal labor migration. With more efficient support and planning, some of these measures could be adjusted to better meet current and future risks fr...
Highlights
Findings of the Nepal’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to climate change indicate that Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change and variability (MoE 2010a; Tiwari et al 2014). (Here “climate change” refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or anthropogenic forces, and “climate variability” refers to a climatic parameter of a region varying from its long-term mean [IPCC 2007a].) The average annual temperature of Nepal has increased at a rate of 0.06uC per year since the 1970s (Shrestha et al 1999; Sharma and Tsering 2009), with higher rates in winter than in summer
The Community-Based Risk Screening Tool–Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL) exercise as an add-on to household surveys encourages people to consider
The participatory process that is inherent in the CRiSTAL exercise generates a space for discussion among a wide range of local stakeholders, which makes CRiSTAL an appropriate tool for documenting current responses and for developing promising adaptation practices using a bottom-up approach and supporting the development of resilient mountain communities as outlined in NAPA
Summary
Findings of the Nepal’s National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) to climate change indicate that Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change and variability (MoE 2010a; Tiwari et al 2014). (Here “climate change” refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or anthropogenic forces, and “climate variability” refers to a climatic parameter of a region varying from its long-term mean [IPCC 2007a].) The average annual temperature of Nepal has increased at a rate of 0.06uC per year since the 1970s (Shrestha et al 1999; Sharma and Tsering 2009), with higher rates in winter than in summer. (Here “climate change” refers to any change in climate over time, whether due to natural variability or anthropogenic forces, and “climate variability” refers to a climatic parameter of a region varying from its long-term mean [IPCC 2007a].) The average annual temperature of Nepal has increased at a rate of 0.06uC per year since the 1970s (Shrestha et al 1999; Sharma and Tsering 2009), with higher rates in winter than in summer. Manifestations of climate change and variability observed in the mountains include erratic rainfall, an unpredictable onset of the monsoon season, and droughts (Gentle and Maraseni 2012), with negative impacts on agriculture as well as on food, livelihood, and water security (Kohler et al 2010; Macchi 2011; Gentle and Maraseni 2012). Most climate models show that higher temperatures will lead to lower rice yields as a result of shorter growing periods in Asia, including Nepal (IPCC 2014)
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