Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
proportion is more than 30% (Chaulagain, 2006). This could have seri-
ous implications on river flows and water availability for power plants for
about six months per year.
The landmark Qinghai-Tibet Railway, built at a huge cost and asso-
ciated with important development objectives is partly built on perma-
frost. Projected widespread permafrost melting on the Tibetan Plateau can
threaten future railway services (Chen et al., 2005; Xu et al., 2005).
Likewise, the Yangtze River, China's largest river and a crucial sup-
plier of water to industry, agriculture and 500 million domestic users ex-
perienced its lowest upper reaches flow since the 1920's in 2006. With
upstream dryland expansion, melting glaciers and aggravated sediment
deposits that affect downstream flood discharge capacity (Wang et al.,
2005), the Three Gorges Dam, the world's largest hydroelectric installa-
tion, is also at risk.
19.10.5 LIVELIHOODS, VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION
The term 'livelihood' comprises the capabilities, assets (material and
social resources), and activities required for a means of living (Carney,
1998). Sustainable livelihood includes the idea of coping with and recov-
ering from stresses and shocks, and maintaining or enhancing existing
capabilities and assets. Climate change has made the future of mountain
indigenous people and their livelihoods more vulnerable and uncertain.
The available scientific evidence suggests that climate change will place
significant stress on the rural livelihoods of mountain people. Efforts to
reduce vulnerability and enhance the adaptive capacity of at-risk groups
need to take a proactive approach that address the social processes leading
to vulnerability and the structural inequalities that are often at the root of
social-environmental vulnerabilities.
Adaptation to climate change is both related to vulnerability, which can
be defined as the “degree to which individuals and systems are susceptible
to or unable to cope with the adverse effects of climate change” (Smit
and Pilifosova, 2001) and to future potential impacts, either avoidable or
unavoidable. Effective adaptation includes both the establishment of adap-
tive capacity (awareness, governance, and knowledge) and the adaptation
itself (change of behavior, practices, and livelihoods according to new
conditions) (Mirza, 2007). Adaptation consists of a multitude of options
