Climate change perceptions, data, and adaptation in the Garhwal Himalayas of India

Abstract

Himalayan communities that depend on rain-fed agriculture are disproportionately vulnerable to climate change. In this study, we compare local perceptions of climate change from a household survey (n = 251) to climate data obtained from the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS 2.1) and MODIS Terra Snow Cover data product datasets. The study is situated in and around the Kedarnath Wildlife Sanctuary, which is located within the Garhwal Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand. We found that a large majority of respondents perceive that rainfall is increasing and that snowfall is decreasing, while a smaller majority perceives an increase in summer temperatures and no change in winter temperatures. Agreeing with the perceptions of the majority, the climate data show an increase in summer temperature and winter rainfall. However, the climate data also show an increase in winter temperature, and no monotonic change in snowfall, findings which are contrary to the perception of the majority. Household perceptions of climate change were not associated with adaptation; while many households perceived change, very few reported that they were planning to adapt. To encourage adaptation, communities would benefit from locally appropriate climate data products, and collaboration on best practices with researchers, NGOs, and extension services.

Extreme hydroclimatic events in rural communities of the Brazilian Amazon: local perceptions of change, impacts, and adaptation

“…Perceptions of changes in the climate and river cycle were used as an entry point for our discussions with participants. Based on the IPCC’s ( 2018 :557) definition of “risk perception,” we consider “perceptions of change” as “the subjective judgment that people make about the characteristics and severity of changes.” Local perceptions are a common theme in the literature on CC in Amazonia and elsewhere (e.g., Altea 2020 ; Platt et al 2021 ), and like Hasan and Kumar ( 2019 ), we recognize that these perceptions of change and impacts are necessary precursors of adaptation.…”

Impact of Water Seepage of New Suez Canal on Soil Properties of El-Amal Area, Ismailia East, Egypt

“…In contrast, the soils less than 7 m above sea level were converted to salt marshes and sabkhas. Accordingly, it is predicted that the soils of SMU 1 and SMU 2 and other adjacent lands (3 km from the New Suez Canal) will be shifted into desertified lands in the future by continuous seawater seepage due to global climate change unless all protective strategies and adaptation measures are taken (Kumar et al, 2017;Panda, 2018;Platt et al, 2020). The adaptation measures to climate change in the agricultural sector may be related to incremental, systemic, and transformational changes (Panda, 2018), as shown in Fig.…”

“…The adaptation to climate change hazards in the agricultural sector can be classified into three types of adaptation procedures which are incremental, systemic, and transformational actions (Kumar et al, 2017). The farm system cannot be altered by incremental and systemic adaptations (Platt et al, 2020). In contrast, the farm system and its location can be changed by transformation measures based on the intensity and degree of the agricultural limitations and climate stressors (Panda, 2018).…”

Analysis of Farmers’ Perceptions of Climate Changes and Adaptation Strategies in the Transboundary Gandaki River Basin

“…The impacts of climate change, such as increasing extreme precipitation, gradually growing temperature, and melting glaciers, have a significant effect on agricultural production, food security, terrestrial ecosystems, and the overall livelihood of the population in Nepal [4][5][6] and India [7][8][9]. In Nepal, rainfed agriculture is a primary source of food production [10] and the majority of people depend on agricultural activities for their livelihoods [11,12], which is common in the Indian Himalayan region [13]. In addition, climate change has resulted in water scarcity with more uncertain and irregular of water resources where more than two million people have lack of access to safe drinking water [14].…”

“…For example, the increase in temperature caused a decline in the size and quality of apples in the Indian Himalayan region [22]. In addition, temperature increases and rainfall pattern changes were found as the major causes of water shortages and floods, which resulted in shifted crop-growing seasons, decreased fruit production, food security, and likely increased human diseases, such as malaria and dengue in several rural Indian villages [7,9,13]. Climate changes, such as increasing temperature and uneven rainfall distribution, have also caused unemployment and rural-urban migration in different rural areas in India [23,24].…”