Adaptation Frameworks for Climate Change—Eloquent to Himalayan Ecosystems - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 153

6
Adaptation Frameworks for
Climate Change—Eloquent to
Himalayan Ecosystems
P.K. Joshi,* Kamna Sachdeva and A.K. Joshi
INTRODUCTION
Global climate change has substantial impacts on the Himalayan ecosystems
and its resources (Barnett et al. 2005). For centuries, the region is also known
to face formidable environmental and livelihood challenges in its effort to
safeguard its valuable natural resources including land, water and forests
(Grabherr et al. 1994, 1995, Zobel and Singh 1997, Pauli et al. 2003, Kazakis
et al. 2006). Furthermore, the region is highly fragile and has been subject
to variety of natural hazards like earthquakes, landslides, could bursts,
fl oods, and fl ash fl oods, forest fi res, etc. (Ives 1987, Dortch et al. 2009).
These all formidable challenges are enhanced in light of climate change as
per the projections done so far. There is evidence of prominent increases
in the intensity and/or frequency of many extreme weather events such as
intense rainfall, Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), snow avalanches,
tropical cyclones, prolonged dry spells, thunderstorms, and severe dust
storms in the region and adjoining landscapes (Cruz et al. 2007, Nandargi
and Dhar 2012). Many of times, impacts of such natural disasters results
multiple stresses ranging from ambient environment to socio-economic
confi guration. Such impacts are hunger and susceptibility health disorders,