Adaptation of small scale farmers to climatic risks in India - Sustainet

Padam Singh, 52
years, of Nala village of
Rudraprayag district
sees the reduction in
snowfall as the most
visible change: “As I
was in my twenties, it
was common that
during December and
January the whole area
was covered less than
six feet of snow.
Nowadays, there is one
feet at the most and
often it falls later in the
winter and melts away
fast.”
Agriculture in the region is largely dependent on rains and about 90 %
of the agriculture land is rain fed. One of the manifestations is erratic
rainfall with high intensity in alpine to subalpine zone leading to
flooding and landslides as noticed in 2007 in Alkananda valley (a
tributary of Ganges) in Uttarakhand. The local population has reported
increase in rainfall intensity with less number of rainy days compared
to snowfall in recent years and as a result, in 2007 potato crop was
badly damaged in Mana and Gastoli region in the upper reaches of
Alkananda catchment. Increase in sediment yield in various rivers in
Himalaya and landslides in upper reach due to increase in rainfall.
Most of the rivers which originate in Uttarakhand have their upper
catchments in snow and glaciated areas and traverse through dense
valleys and deep gorges. These perennial rivers are an important
source for hydropower generation and supply water to some of the
largest irrigation networks of the world. Any changes in river discharge
patterns; due to glacier melting caused by a warming environment can
have profound impacts on the hydropower potential of this region and
water supply potential in the plains downstream.
One of the eminent glaciologists, Prof H.C. Nainwal at Dehradun
explained how changes in climate have been affecting the glaciers in
the Himalayan region. He mentioned that Snouts of Satopanth and
Bhagirath Kharak glaciers, located at the head of the Alaknanda valley
in Chamoli District, Uttarakhand, were retreating by 313,923.14 m 3
(0.314 km 3 ) and by 129,369.16
m 3 (0.13 km 3 ) respectively,
during the last 44 years.
In depth field observation for
the past 18 years done by a
team of scientist from “G. B.
Pant Institute of the Himalayan
Environment and Development”
(GBPIHED), revealed that there is considerable advancement of
flowering, leafing and fruiting time (15-20 days) of certain plants.
This is considered a striking evidence of climate in the higher
altitudes of the Himalayas (Maikhuri, 2000).
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Although officials in the
Indian Meteorological
Department (IMD) have
ruled out any unusual or
alarming situation with
such occurrences, elderly
people interviewed in
Uttarakhand are undivided
that observed rainfall
patterns are unusual and
not experienced by them
in their lifetime.
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