Climate Change and Changing Scenario of Rural Livelihood Structure

8/10/2019 Climate Change and Changing Scenario of Rural Livelihood Structure

1/7

Climate

h nge

and Changing

scenario of Rural Livelihood

Structure: A Case Study from

KuHn Block of Himachal

Pradesh

Dr. Sujit Kumar Paul

Associate Professor, Department of Lifelong Learning and

Extension, Rural Extension Centre, Visva- Bharati (A

Central Universityj, Sriniketan - 731236, Birbhum, West

Bengal, Email [email protected]

Anindya Mitra

Project Fellow, Department of Lifelong Learning and

Extension, Rural Extension Centre, Visva- Bharati (A

Central University), Sriniketan-731236, Birbhum, West

Bengal, [email protected]

Abstract:

The Himalayan region is one of the most

hazard prone areas of the world. It is naturally

linked to global atnwspheric circulation, hydro-

logical cycle, biodiversity, and water resources. With

increasing average global temperature, the

Himalayan region has witnessed an increase of

O.15Cto o.6e per decade in the last three decades.

Impacts of climate change and climate variability

have been well experienced in the Himalayas.

Fluctuations in the normal weather patterns,

including shifting of seasons, and deviations in

temperatures, timing and periodicity of sunshine,

rainfall, and snowfall, have also been observed.

Climate induced events have impacted the lives,

assets, and livelihoods of the mountain communities

of Himalayan region, especially traditional

livelihood options like agriculture and animal

husbandry. Decreased productivity of existing crops

and the resultant changes in cropping patterns have

commonly been observed in the region. So, the main

focus of this paper is to assess the impact of climate

change as UJellas to identify coping and adaptation

mechanisms evolved by the community. .

Introduction: .

The global climate change is making an impact

even in Himachal Pradesh, a state that has always

been known for its environmental consciousness.

The physical and socio-economic characteristics of

the Himalayan region combined with the changing

risk factors such as environmental and climate

change, population growth, and e~onomic

globalization have rendered the region highly

vulnerable. There has also been an increase in the

frequency as well as intensity of hydro-

meteorological hazards in the I'egion such as higher

incidences of riverine floods and droughts,

secondary hazards like land~ides/slope failures,

'out of season' occurrences of concentrated rainfall,

uash foods, and cloudbursts, 'prolonged drought,

torrential rains, etc. Changes in the normal weather

patterns, including'shifting of seasons, and

variations in temperatures, timing and periodicity

of sunshine, rainfall, and snowfall, have also been

observed. The trend analysis of climatic variables

(temperature and precipitation) at various altitudes

in Himachal Pradesh over more than two decades

is given in the following~

Table No.1: Altitude wise Climatic Variables in Himachal Pradesh

(+) = increase,(-) =

decrease

Source: Dept. of Environment, Scienc;g & 1 edmology, GoHP

This paper was presented in the National Seminar on Environmental issues: Protection, Conservation

and Management held in Viswabharati during 22-23 Nov., 2013

Volume2014-15. Number 1 . April 2014

I

Altitude

Observation Station

Annual

Annual Mean Data

I

(amsl)

Mean Temp.

Rainfall

Base

I

I

I

1,500 - 2,400

Theog (Shirrtla)

(+) 108C (-) 127 mID

20 Years

I

I

High Hill Temperature Wet

(+) in Kharif Season

,

1,200- 1,800

Kullu

(+) 2.8 C

(-) 20.1 mm

34 Years

I

I

High Hill temperature Wet


I

I

700 - 1,500

Palmpur (Kangra)

(+) 1.0 C

(-) 1000 plm

35 Years

I

Mid Hill Sub Humid

exceptional decrease

I

I


I

I

< 700

Fatehpur (Sirmour)

(+)

(-) 29.4 mll1

23 Years

i

I

Low Hill Sub Humid

I


2/7

80

KPaul

&A

Mitra

In the recent past, there have been several

communities have adopted coping mechanisms such

0' ~, ~ ~~, . . .

epIsodes ot cloudbursts attectlng vIllages m the

--., .~, . , ., ,

.tiImalayan regIon. lJllmate-maucea events nave

impacted the lives, assets, and livelihoods of the

mountain communities of Himachal Pradesh,

. ' ' , ' - ' '

especIally tradItIOnal llvellhOOCl optIOns lIKe

agriculture and animal husbandry. The change in

the extreme events of rainfall and temperature will

have direct or indirect h,Garingson different sectors

of economy with changes in hydrological response

or the basins including impacts on glaciers. The

changes land use patterns are expected with impact

on development trends.

Variousdevelopment sectors will primarily be

affected adversely in changing climatic scenario

either directly (agriculture, water resources, bio

diversity and forest or indirectly Oivelihood,

, , , , .,,~,. ,~

tOUrIsm, nydropower, nea1tn).ll1e Impacts ot

changing climatic variables are given in Table No.


3/7

~

S.

K

Paul Mitra

This study is based on primary data generated

in the field study. The key information had been

collected through various PRA tools. Matrix scoring

tool was used to understand the scenario of study

area in terms of status of economy, infrastructure,

natural resources, climatic factors and occurrence

of natural hazards. The details of information

collected through these tools are elaborated in Table

below.

The main focus of the method was to identify

the changes in climatic factors and to identify the

logic or reasons behind the changes in land use,

income pattern, cropping pattern, fodder sources

and availability and livestock holdings in the last

40 years. During the PRA exercise, 50 of the

informant (both male and female) were belonged

to age grQUPof more than 50 to 60 years and rest of

the informant were belonged to 20 to 50 years age

group. Household level survey was also done to

authenticate the findings ofthe village level study.

However, it would help in assessing the impact of

. climate change on poor and women.

Climate Change and Its Impact:

In the context of understanding the climatic

trends in Himachal Pradesh, both temperature and

precipitation (rainfall and snowfall) are the

important indicators. The present study revealed

that there is a significant increase in air

temperature and decrease in precipitation in last

two decades. As per the analysis carried on three

villages ofKullu block decreased trend of rainfall

and snowfall is observed (table number 4). It has

been observed that the change in winter

precipitation is minimal but there is a significant

decrease in monsoon precipitation. Another finding

with respect to climate of

Kullu

reveals that the

total precipitation and snowfall for all the season

has a decreasing trend. The study also reveals that

the season tends to end by about 10-12 days earlier

per decade causing long term impact on agriculture

and horticuiture production of the area; Number

of rainy days have been decreased with decrease

in average intensity.

The Kullu district has also experienced rainfall

in place of snowfall with increased temperature.

Ar~increase in rainfall in the pre-monsoon and post-

monsoon months with increasing incidence of hail

storm in the study area has been found. Change in

rainfall patterns with increased va.-iability increase

the incident of forest :fire, land slide, cloud burst

which leads to flood /flash flood. The changing

scenarios of natural hazards are shown in the table

number 5.

Changes in temperature and precipitation

cause direct and indirect impact on hydrological

structure as well as in the different sectors of

economy~ It has been found that decreased number

of rainy day with reduced quantity, increased gap

in rain and decreased snowfall lead to increase in

drought or dry spell and poor soil moisture quantity

which caused poor crop yield, decrease in forest and

grass land productivity and high incidence of

disease and pest attack. In village hong it has

found that some of the water sources were dried

resulting the increased workloaCl of women to fetch

water for the domestic

use.

Increased days of

hailstorm adversely affect the crop and fruit during

germination, vegetative,. flowering and fruit setting

stage lead to reduced quality and quantity of crops

and fruits and high incidence of disease infection

and pest attack. The changing climatic scenario also

affect the natural cycle of honey bees which leads

to reduction in bee colonies and thereby affecting

the cross pollination.

Adaptation and Coping Mechanism:

Climate change is any long term significant

change in the average weather wbich affects normal

flow ofhuman activity and makes them vulnerable.

However, this vulnerability can be reduced by the

adaptations which reduce the severity of many

anle No. ~~1 llA tools

us

and now of data

Volume2014-15. Number 1 . April2014

.

60

Tools Information

Pie Chart Fodder source, Income sources, crop acreages, livestockJlOldings in the past and

current year

Seasonality

Income sources, fodder availability and sources, cropping pattern, key climatic

factors (rain, snow, hailstorm, temperatures), natural hazards (land slide, cloud I

burst, drought), workload of women, control and access of women to cash income I

n the past and current year

Matrix scoring

Impact of climatic factors and natural hazards I

Time line/trend

Triangulation of above information collected through other PRA tools

i

I


4/7

S. K. Paul & it Mitra

Table no.4: Variation in Climatic Factors

Table no. 5: Changing scenario of Natural Hazards

~

Volume 2014~15

.

Number 1

.

April 2014

--

I

Climatic Variables Villages

I

Osan

Rogan Chong

I

Raiidall pattern

1}j65 71 2u10 13

1::105 71

2010 13

1965-71 2 T7v 13

I

.

I

i (1 to 5 days per month) Nov, June,

Nov, Jan, Oct,

Jan,Sep

Oct, Oct, Jan,

I

Sep, Feb, March, March, May,

Feb, Jun,

I

I

April, May,

May

June,

July, Aug,

I

I

July, Sep

July Sep

I

I (6 to 10 days per month)

Oct, Feb,

July, Aug

J an, Feb,

April, Aug

Nov, Dee, March,

I

May, July, Sep Sep, Oct April

I

Nov

I

I (10 to 15 days per month)

March,

Nil

April

Nil

Jan,

Nil

I

April, Jan

I q5 to 20 days per month)

Aug

Nil

Aug

July

Feb,

Nil

I

March,

I

I

April,

I

-

I

Aug

I

I Snowfall

.....

1965-71

2010 13 1965-71 2010 13

1965-71 2010 13

I

I

I (1 to 6 inch)

Nil

Feb Jail March Nov

J an, Feb,

I

March

I

I (6 to 12 inch)

Nov, Jan,

Nil Feb Nil

Jan, April

Nil

I

March

I

I

Oct and Nil

Feb,

Nil

(1 to 2 t)

.

March

N:1

H

I

Feb

March

I

I

I Hailstorm

..

1965-71 2010 13

1965-71 2010 13

1965-71 2010 13

I

I

Nil

April

(Low)

May

April

April July

,

-

(M,.1 )

April and May and

June and

June

June and

April

I eU. urn

.c

I

July July

July

July

I (High) May and

June

April

Nl

Nil

June

I

June

I

I

Natural Hazards

Villages

I

I

Osan

Kogan

Chong

I

Rainfall pattern

1965-71

2010 13 1965-71 2010 13 1965-71 2010 13

I Forest fireR

May and May, June,

Nil

May and

Oct and

May, June,

I -

I June

Oct, NOV

Nov Nov

Oct, Nov

I

I Landslides

April, May,

April, June, April,June, April,

Feb, Apdl,

June, July

July, Aug,

July

June,

March,

June,

Sep July, Aug,

July July,

Sep

Aug

Cloud Burst

July

July, Aug

Jlli'1eand

June,

JUly

June,

July July and

July, Aug,

r

Aug

Sep

I


5/7

S. K. Paul

& A

Mitra

impacts through the adjustment in our

environmental, sodo-economic system. In the study

area the mountain community has taken some

adaptation and coping mechanism to reduce the

adverse effects of climate change. The key findings

ofthe adaptive and coping mechanism are discussed

below:

. The area under traditional crops has been

decreased due to decline in rainfall and

snowfalls. Decline in rainfall have resulted into

poor soil moisture leading to poor yields.

Increased globalization, conducive government

policies and communication and transport

infrastructure have further enabled the

farming community to shift from subsistence

farming to cash crop farming. The changing

cropping pattern of the study area is gi.ven in

table number 6.

.

The table number 6 also reveals that the area

under Maize and Wheat has increased

substantially and that is due to decrease in

area of traditional subsistence crops such as

Kodra Kauni paddy etc. and change in dietary

habits of the local community. These two crops

also fulfill the fodder requirements oflivestock

during lean period and facilitate stall feeding

of improved livestock breeds. The surplus also

can easily be sold within the village. The trends

reveal that high incidence of farm

diversification and highly increase in the al'ea

under cash crops like vegetable, oil seeds and

spices and decrease in area under subsistence

crops. The farmers are now delaying in crop

sowing and wait for rain to sow next crop. The

use of vermi-compost and other bio fertilizer

are found in the representative villages.

.

Farmers now try their best to judiciously

allocate land to cash, subsistence and fodder

crops. Intensification of agriculture or

horticulture is practiced to fetch higher yield

and cash income from per unit area of

cultivable land. For example: orchards are also

Table no. 6: Changing scenario of Cropping Pattern (in percentage)


Crop

I

Osan

og n

I

Chong

i I

Kharif Crop

i

1965-71

2010 13 I 1965-71 i 2010 13 i 1965-77 2010 13

I

i

I I -

Kodra

I

10 Nil

25

Nil

r

5 Nil

I

I

i

Kauni

5 Nil

20

I

Nil

Nil

I

5

i

I

I

Bathu

I

10

Nil

I

1

I

Nil

4 Nil

I J

-I

Chinni

I

Nil Nil

I

Nil I Nil i 5 Nil

i

Chakhu

i

Nil Nil

I

Nil

1

Nil

I

5

I

2

i

I

Gahat 5 5

2

I

2 2

i

5

i

Soyabean

I

2

I

Nil 3

I

Nil

I

1

I

Nil

Maize

45 45 15

I

40

-

50

I

40

I

I

Rajma

5

I

10

5

I

10 3

i

10

I

I

j

Mass

1

I

5 1

I

3

2

I

6

I

Paddy

3

I

5 5

I

20

I

20

i

I

Tit

I

1

I

1 1

I

Nil

1

I 2

I

Amaranthus

I

Nil

i

Nil

Nil 5 1 I

Vegetable

4

I

25

2 40 5

I

25

I

Rabi Crops

1965-71

I 2010 13

1965-71 2010 13 1965-71 I 2010 13

Wheat

50

'

60 20

70 50

I

40

Barley

20

I

5 60

1

20

I

5

I

1

Vegetables

Nil

20

2 25 5 37

Mustard

10

I

5

10 4

15

I

10

Black gram

10

I

5

2

Nil 5 3

I

Masoor

10

I

5

6

Nil 5 5


6/7

S K Paul

&

A Mitra

used for cultivation of subsistence/fodder and

cash crops, the tomato fields used for creepers

crops such as Rajma, pumpkin, cucumber and

wheat intercropped with lentil, black gram and

Mustard. Farmers are cultivating higher

number of crops (casbJfodderlsubsistence) to

fulfill their cash/food security and livestock

needs as well as to diversify the risk in cash

crop economy. Farmers are shifting from late

maturity crops towttrds low maturity crops

that have low maturity period. The cropping

pattern has been evolved in such a manner

that the crops provide cash income throughout

the year. The livestock holding size of the

households have decreased in numbers and

shifted from goat and sheep towards improved

breed of milk cattle. The fodder dependency

has increased on agriculture and horticulture

.

land than~the forest and grass land. The

farmers are now earniItg from the milk and

milk products. The changing flow of income is

shown in ta\le number 7.

.

Apple still occupies 20 to 50 per cent of total

orchard area because it has longer shelf life -

30 to 40 days and fetches higher returns as

\vell as better yield. The Government also

provides Minimum support price. However,

reduction in area

of

orchards as well as shift

from Apple

to

Pear, Peach etc. also found in

the study area.

.

The increase in number of cash crops has

substantiaUy increased the workload ofwomen

in agriculture and horticulture sector.

However, many attempts have been made to

reduce the workload of women by allocating

cultivable land to crops that provide green or

dry matter and now they have better control

and access to cash income from farm based

intervention.

Conclusion:

The present study has highlighted certain

changes in climatic variables, their impact on the

hydrological and socio economic structure of the

Kullu block. The climate change has made the area

vulnerable~ However, the solution of this problem

is being generated by combining farmers' ingenuity,

new technologies and several trial-and-error

efforts. The local communities have evolved some

adaptation and coping mechanism to deal. with

these adverse effects of climate change to some

extent. The innovative farmers of Kullu have shown

the way by converting threat into opportunity by

judicial utilization oflocal resources and low inputs.

But still, there is a need of proper adaptation

strategy for reducing the vulnerability of climate

change. Based on the above study following

mitigation intervention can be made for better

adaptation and coping mechanism in the study

area.

.

Soil moisture can be enhanced by low cost

irrigation facilities through rain water

harvesting structure using drip and sprinkler

systems and soil and water conservation

measures on private and common land. Spring

sanctuary should be development in selected

sites to revive drying springs and water

sources.

Action research should be done on organic

composting and manuring techniques such as

vermicomposting, NADEP composts,

traditional composts and mulching methods.

Action research should be done on Bio-mass

based pesticides and fertilizers-cow urine amI

aromatic herbs..

Strengthen cash crop economy by introducing

cash crops that fetch higher returns and

demand low investments.

Action research should be done on hail nets

and anti-hail guns to reduce the adverse

.

.

.

.

Table no. 7:

h ngingflow income (in percentage)

Volume2014-15. Number 1 . April 2014

Osan

Rogan

I

Chong

Income Source 1965-71 :t01O 13 1965-71

I

2010 13

I

1965-71

I

2010 13

Fruit

Nil

35 55

I 30

I

Nil

I

50

I

Vegetables

Nil

Nil

I

I

28 50

I 10

i

30

Cereals 60 15

10

I

3

i

20

I

5

I

I

I

Pulses

30

10 20

I

10

I

50 5

I

Oilseeds

10

5 5

I

Nil

10 Nil

Spices

Nil

5 Nil

I

5

I

5

I

2

I

I

Milk & milk products

Nil 2 2

I

10

I

5

I

8


7/7

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--

S.

Paul

_4..

Mitra

.

impact of hailstorm.

Promotion activities of fodder on private and

common lands-grasses. Shrubs and fast

growing tree fodder species should

be

complimented with appropriate soil water

conservation measures.

Preservation

of fodder and promotion of anti-

wastage technique such as silage

fodder stall

and Chaff cutter for reduce the wastage of

fodder.

.

Government programmes like MGNREGA

should be implemented properly. It can be used

extensively for development of horticulture

and fodder.

.

.

ibliogr phy

Anonymous;

2007:

Fourth assessment report of

IPCC Climate Change 2007: Synthesis Report

Asian Development Bank; 2010:

Climate

Change Adaptation in Himacha Pradesh

Sustainable Strategies for Water Resource

India .

Department of Environment Science and

Technology Government of Himachal

Pradesh;

2012:

State Strategy and Adaptation

Plan on Climate Change

Himachal Pradesh

Department of Forest, Government of Himachal

Pradesh; 2005: Himachal Forest Sector Policy

and Strategy 2005 Shimla.

Government of Himachal Pradesh, Department of

Environment, Science, and Technology; 2009:

State of the Environment Report Shimla.

Government of Himachal Pradesh, Department of

Environment, Science, and Technology; 2009:

State of the Environment Report.

Shimla, in

association with HP Council for Science

Technology and Environment and HP State

Pollution Board.

Planning Department Government of Himachal

Pradesh; 2009: State Annual Plan 2009 10

Shimla.

R. K. Mall, AlLl:1ilesh Gupta, Ranjeet Singh, R. S.

Singh and L. S. Rathore; 2006: Water resources

and climate change: An Indian perspective.

Thakur, D.S; Sanjay; Thakur, D. R. and Sharma,

K D. 1994 .

Economics of off season Vege

table production and Marketing in Hills.

Indifin Journal of Agricultural Marketing

Varma P. D. ed. ; 2010:

Reflections of Climate

Change Leaders from the Himalayas Case

Studies Detailed

Lead INdia, New Delhi

Wulf, H.; Bookhagen,; Scherler; Strecker; 2008:

Seasonal Precipitation. and its Impact on

Discharge and Hillslopes in the Satluj Valley

NW Himalaya

University of Potsdam,

University of California December


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Climate Change and Changing Scenario of Rural Livelihood Structure