Adaptation Frameworks for Climate Change—Eloquent to Himalayan Ecosystems - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 154

loss of resources, assets, property and livelihoods, affecting human survival
and well-being and resulting imbalance in the daily life of local community.
The impacts of climate change are already being experienced world-
wide. As per the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
climate change is unequivocal and will affect everyone. It is expected to have
a disproportionate effect on communities living in poverty in developing
countries and ecosystems or regions more sensitive to precipitation and
temperature changes (MEA 2005). Nature of the Himalayan region, sensitive
and diffi cult landscapes with sparsely poor infrastructure makes is more
vulnerable. It is a matter of great concern as the region has more snow, ice
and glaciers than any other region in the world outside the poles (Barnett
et al. 2005). The Himalayan glaciers are source of nine major river (Yangtze,
Ganges, Yamuna, Brahmaputra, Irrawady, Mekong, Indus, Tarim) basins
in South Asia, of which only the Gangetic basin supports more that 500
million people. Over 200 million people live in the mountains, valleys, and
hills of the Hind Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region and around 1.3 billion
people, a fi fth of the world's population live in the basins downstream.
All told, an estimated 3 billion people benefi t from the water and other
services (Immerzeel et al. 2010). Recognizing the importance of mountains
as ecosystems of decisive significance and essential for sustainable
development, many national and international efforts have been started.
Despite all these efforts, the Himalayan ecosystems are facing enormous
pressures from various climate change drivers and natural disasters.
As we see climate has already been changing and its adverse impacts
are evident, we cannot stop this change in the short order. Hence adaption
is the only way to deal the momentum of physical and social processes of
climate change. As we know the pace of climate change determines the
severity of its impacts hence responses like mitigation and adaptation are
necessary for slowing the human-induced climate change and stresses.
The developing world has more problems and challenges hence are more
vulnerable. To know who and what is vulnerable and to understand locally
available adaptation strategies, it is important to understand the dynamics
(socio-economic) of any region for that matter specifi c framework for
adaption can be developed by modifying a few general well accepted lessons
like: (i) recognize the problem and respond early, (ii) mainstreaming the
adaption with development goals, (iii) knowledge and awareness, (iv) use of
locally oriented strategies, (v) identifi cation of co-benefi ts like protection of
natural resources, health benefi ts and others, and (vi) involvement of people
who are at risk. All the adaptation frameworks involve these lessons but
modifi cations as per the region can be done. Defi nitely for the Himalayan
ecosystem, more careful strategies are needed because combined pressures
of climate and non-climatic drivers makes it more vulnerable.