Pastoral communities’ perspectives on climate change and their adaptation strategies in the Hindukush-Karakoram-Himalaya

Abstract

This chapter is based on four case studies carried out respectively in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal by using semi-structured household interviews. Climate changes, especially rising temperature and more erratic precipitation, are strongly felt by pastoralists and are affecting their livelihoods strategies. Local communities have adapted to these changes, passively or proactively, by enhancing water resources management, changing the temporal and spatial pattern of seasonal migration, introducing drought-resistant crops or animal varieties or diversifying income-generating activities. However, the adaptive capacity of the pastoral communities to deal with the changes has been severely limited by multiple factors.