Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Adapting cropping systems to climate change in Nepal: a cross-regional study of farmers’ perception and practices

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Regional Environmental Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Climate change is a global challenge that has a particularly strong effect on developing countries such as Nepal, where adaptive capacity is low and where agriculture, which is highly dependent on climatic factors, is the main source of income for the majority of people. The nature and extent of the effects of climate change on rural livelihoods varies across Nepal in accordance with its highly diverse environmental conditions. In order to capture some of this variability, a comparative study was performed in two different ecological regions: Terai (lowland) and Mountain (upland) in the western development region of Nepal. The study focuses on perceptions of, and on adaptations to climate change by farmers. Information was collected from both primary and secondary data sources. Climate data were analyzed through trend analysis. Results show that most farmers perceive climate change acutely and respond to it, based on their own indigenous knowledge and experiences, through both agricultural and non-agricultural adaptations at an individual level. The study also shows that there is a need to go beyond the individual level, and to plan and provide support for appropriate technologies and strategies in order to cope with the expected increasing impacts of climate change.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Agriculture Diary (2008) Ministry of agriculture and cooperatives. Department of Agriculture, District Agriculture Development Office, Mustang

    Google Scholar 

  • Alam M, Regmi, BR (2004) Adverse impacts of climate change on development of Nepal: integrating adaptation into policies and activities, capacity strengthening in the least developed countries (LDCs) for adaptation to climate change (CLACC). Working paper No. 3, Bangladesh Centre for advanced Studies (BCAS), Dhaka, Bangladesh

  • Arnell NW (1999) Climate change and global water resources. Global Environ Change 9:S31–S49

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Baidya SK, Shrestha ML, Sheikh MM (2008) Trends in daily climatic extremes of temperature and precipitation in Nepal. J Hydrol Meteorol 5(1):38–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Bradshaw B, Dolan H, Smit B (2004) Farm-level adaptation to climatic variability and change: crop diversification in the Canadian Praries. Clim Change 67(1):119–141

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chaulagain, NP (2006) Impacts of climate change on water resources of Nepal, the physical and socioeconomic dimensions. Unpublished master’s thesis, University of Flensburg, Germany

  • Dey B, Kumar O (1983) Himalayan winter snow cover area and summer monsoon rainfall over India. J Geophys Res 88(C9):5471–5474

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fankhauser S, Smith JB, Tol RSJ (1999) Weathering climate change: some simple rules to guide adaptation decisions. Ecol Econ 30(1):67–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howden SM, Soussana J-F, Tubiello FN, Chhetri N, Dunlop M, Meinke H (2007) Adapting agriculture to climate change. PNAS 104(50):19691–19696

    Google Scholar 

  • Huq S, Rahman A, Konate M, Sokona Y, Reid H (2003) Mainstreaming adaptation to climate change in least developed countries (LDCS). Retrieved on 16th April 2010, available online at http://www.un.org/special-rep/ohrlls/ldc/LDCsreport.pdf

  • Ichiyanagi K, Yamanaka MD, Muraji Y, Vaidya BK (2007) Precipitation in Nepal between 1987 and 1996. Int J Climatol 27(13):1753–1762

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) (2009) Local responses to too much and too little water in the greater Himalayan region. ISBN 978 92 9115 129 5 (electronic version)

  • IPCC (2007) Summary for policymakers of the synthesis report of the IPCC fourth assessment report; Draft copy

  • Jones JW, Hansen JW, Royce FS, Messina CD (2000) Potential benefits of climate forecasting to agriculture. Agric Ecosyst Environ 82(1–3):169–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Joshi GR, Pandey S (2006) Farmers perceptions and adoption of modern rice varieties in Nepal. Q J Int Agric 45(2):171–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Malla G (2008) Climate change and its impact on Nepalese agriculture. J Agric Environ 9:62–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (2007) Statistical information on Nepalese agriculture 2006/2007, government of Nepal, ministry of agriculture and cooperatives, agri-business promotion and statistics division. Sigha Durbar, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  • Ministry of Population and Environment (2004) Initial national communication to the conference of the parties of the United Nations Framework convention on climate change, ministry of population and environment. Singha Durbar, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  • National Geographic Information Infrastructure Programme (NGIIP) (2010) Government of Nepal, Ministry of Land Reform and Management, Survey Department Complex, Min Bhawan, Baneshwor, Kathmandu

  • Nepal Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) (2008) Sustainable development plan of Mustang. NTNC/GoN/UNEP, Kathmandu

  • Nyong A, Adesina F, Elasha BO (2007) The value of indigenous knowledge in climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in the African Sahel. Mitig Adapt Strat Glob Change 12(5):787–797

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Patt A, Pablo S, Hess U (2010) How do small-holder farmers understand insurance, and how much do they want it? Evidence from Africa. Global Environ Change 20:153–161

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Regmi B, Adhikari A (2007) Human Development Report 2007/2008

  • Regmi BR, Thapa L, Sharma GB, Khadka S (2008) Climate change risk, vulnerability and adaptation strategies at community level, local initiatives for biodiversity research and development (LI-BIRD)

  • Salinger MJ, Stigter CJ, Das HP (2000) Agrometeorological adaptation strategies to increasing climate variability and climate change. Agric For Meteorol 103(1–2):167–184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha AB, Wake CP, Mayewski PA, Dibb JE (1999) Maximum temperature trends in the Himalaya and its vicinity: an analysis based on temperature records from Nepal for the period 1971–1994. J Clim 12(9):2775–2786

    Google Scholar 

  • Shrestha AB, Wake CP, Mayewski PA, Dibb JE (2000) Precipitation fluctuations in the Nepal Himalaya and its vicinity and relationship with some large scale climatological parameters. Int J Climatol 20(3):317–327

    Google Scholar 

  • Statistical Year Book of Nepal (2007) Government of Nepal, national planning commission secretariat, central bureau of statistics, ramshah path. Thapathali, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

  • Winrock International (2007) Nepal country environmental analysis: part 1: environmental sector review; revised draft copy. Winrock International, Kathmandu

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This research is supported by Norwegian government, Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development, Pokhara; Nepal Wheat Research Program, Bhairahawa; and District Agriculture Development Office, Mustang, Nepal. We would like to acknowledge Dr. S. L. Ranamukhaarachchi for his contribution in this study. Furthermore, we thank GCOE Program of University of Yamanashi and all others who have directly and indirectly helped us to successfully complete this research.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Eco-Social System Engineering, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11, Takeda, Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8511, Japan

    Sujata Manandhar

  2. Centre for Mountain Ecosystem Studies, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 650204, Heilongtan, Kunming, China

    Dietrich Schmidt Vogt

  3. UMR G-Eau, Cirad, Asian Institute of Technology, PoBox 4, Klong Luang Pathumthani, 12120, Thailand

    Sylvain R. Perret

  4. International Research Center for River Basin Environment, University of Yamanashi, 4-3-11, Takeda, Yamanashi, Kofu, 400-8511, Japan

    Futaba Kazama

Authors
  1. Sujata Manandhar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Dietrich Schmidt Vogt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Sylvain R. Perret
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Futaba Kazama
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sujata Manandhar.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Manandhar, S., Vogt, D.S., Perret, S.R. et al. Adapting cropping systems to climate change in Nepal: a cross-regional study of farmers’ perception and practices. Reg Environ Change 11, 335–348 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-010-0137-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-010-0137-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation