Managing Ecosystem Services for Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalayas - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 213

were managed traditionally, with practices having been evolved by the
local communities through trial and error over long period of time (Rai
et al. 1994). Belief in Buddhism, Hinduism, and a varying blend with
animistic beliefs cuts across all mountain people imparting a sense of
compassion and awareness for all forms of life and the surrounding natural
environment. Buddhist beliefs in 'hidden lands' or 'beyuls' (Sherpa 2003),
and 'hidden treasures' or ters (Ramakhrishnan 1996) are often linked to the
idea of conservation areas for human and nature and provide a strong
organizing principle in how people relate to vast natural spaces and the
biodiversity therein. Such beyuls are rich in biodiversity and often are
named for dominant fl ora and fauna, such as the 'Beyul Khenpalung' or the
'Hidden Land of Artemisia' in Makalu Barun National Park in Nepal, and
Demajong, or 'valley of rice' in Sikkim. These areas were usually marked
by strict observances such as bans on hunting, mining, polluting rivers and
streams, and harvesting of timber and plant resources. Transgressors were
often punished through fi nes and other disciplinary actions. Likewise, the
traditional natural resources management systems such as Dzumsa by the
Pipons (village head) among the Lanchungpas in Sikkim (Rai et al. 1994),
wise knowledge and sustainable natural resources use practiced among
the Lepchas (Jha 2002), strong ethics for landscape level conservation
among Sikkimese Buddhists (Ramakrishnan 1996), effective rangeland
management by Kiratis and Limbuwans (Oli 2008) and Bhutias (Nautiyal
et al. 2003) are some of the effective traditional conservation measures
that address 'sustainability'. Thus, conservation was culturally enforced
within many of these indigenous groups. This reveals that in the past, there
was strong resilience between biological resources and the human needs.
However, these practices, which are participatory and inclusive, have not
been recognized by many of the national policies of the Himalayan region
as effective conservation measures and are overshadowed by modern
statuary strict and stringent obligations.
Potential Impact of Climate Change on Ecosystem Services
The HKH region is facing enormous pressures from an array of drivers
of change including climate change (Erikson et al. 2009, Xu et al. 2009,
Tse-ring et al. 2010). The region has shown consistent trends in overall
warming during the past 100 years (Yao et al. 2007). Various studies suggest
that warming in the HKH has been much greater than the global average
of 0.74°C over the last 100 years (IPCC 2007, Du et al. 2004). For example,
warming in Nepal was 0.6°C per between decades 1977 and 2000 (Shrestha
et al. 1999). While the Fourth Assessment Report (4AR) of Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) made a strong science-based rationale for
the need for actions countering the potential ill effects of climate change