CASE STUDY: ADAPTATION IN THE HINDU-KUSH HIMALAYAS Lisa Schipper 8 January 2010

Brief project overview Purpose of project to document and assess strategies used by mountain people to cope with and adapt to variations in water resources Linked case studies with national policy studies, focused on disaster risk reduction and adaptation

Assumptions Assumed peoples livelihoods already include intentions and actions to ward off risk Actions are insufficient to manage extreme events and major changes Not all responses are adaptation Key to shifting from coping to adapting is reducing vulnerability Coping strategies for floods and droughts may have + and – implications for long-term resilience & well being

Good governance With good governance and planning that takes into account climate risk, infrastructure development can contribute to enhancing water security and flood management Example: Nepal trenches

Social capital Social networks and local institutions play a vital role in enhancing adaptive capacity Example: Chitral migrant networks

Cultural norms shift Cultural norms affect peoples adaptive behaviour. Despite being deeply rooted, they can shift over time in response to the needs Example: Assam fishers, liquor production and house construction

Context specific Factors enabling adaptation may also be constraining Example: flood management in Bihar and Assam

Institutions and policies National institutions and policies strongly affect peoples ability to adapt at the local level, but the national level is rarely informed by adaptation concerns and priorities Example: All cases

Diversification Livelihood diversification emerges as a central adaptation strategy, but support through institutions and policy is needed for long-term sustainability Example: All cases

Finding a balance Adaptation requires striking a balance between short-term priorities and long-term goals Example: All cases

Conclusions Cultural norms: not as rigid as many assume Poor people in extreme landscapes: how to create links between national policy approaches to strengthen resilience and local level? How to ensure that behaviour doesnt shift toward maladaptation?

More information about project php/search/publication/665