Indigenous perceptions of Climate change <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">vis-a-vis</i> Mountain Agricultural activities in Himachal Pradesh, India

Abstract

The study assesses the effects of climatic and socioeconomic changes on the livelihoods of rural agricultural communities in the Himachal Pradesh of India. The farmers’ perceptions on locally idealized traditional weather cycles with climate change are analyzed and compared for different agro climatic zones of Himachal Pradesh. Climate change is described by farmers as temporal displacement of weather cycles, reflecting changes in crop enterprises and livelihood options. Increasing temperature during summers, prolonged summers, delayed onset and uneven distribution of SW monsoon, delayed onset of winter, short winter periods, temperature above normal during winters, decreasing snowfall during winters, delayed snowfall and shorter winters, low temperature spells at high altitudes during winters and unpredictable rainfalls were the main experiences of the farmers regarding climate change across the elevation zones. Farmers’ perceptions clearly indicated a shift in crop production in the low and mid hill regions, from crops requiring high moisture, like basmati rice and sugarcane, to those tolerating lower water like maize and local paddy rice. In addition, a shift of the apple growing belt to higher altitudes was noted, with former apple production areas replaced by vegetable crops. The study concludes that climate variability has a clear impact on crop productivity. In all elevations, farmers opined that a shift of labor earlier engaged in agriculture, to other enterprises is primarily due to handsome earnings in other enterprises, reflecting reduction in profits from agriculture and increase in vulnerability in climate dependent agricultural systems. Farmers in marginal areas are more vulnerable than small and large farmers from sub tropical climates in the mid hills to sub temperate climates at higher elevations.