IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/nathaz/v91y2018i3d10.1007_s11069-018-3187-1.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Climate change-induced hazards and local adaptations in agriculture: a study from Koshi River Basin, Nepal

Author

Listed:
  • Abid Hussain

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD))

  • Golam Rasul

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD))

  • Bidhubhusan Mahapatra

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
    Population Council)

  • Shahriar Wahid

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
    Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO))

  • Sabarnee Tuladhar

    (International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD))

Abstract

Changes in climate, associated hazards, local adaptations in agriculture, and socioeconomic factors affecting adaptation were investigated using data from a large survey of 2310 households (HHs) in the Koshi River Basin (KRB), Nepal. More than 80% of HHs had perceived changes in climate in the 10 years preceding the survey, and 20–40% had perceived increases in the occurrence of droughts, dry spells, floods, and livestock diseases. Around 36–45% of crop-growing HHs perceived a decline in the production of staple crops such as paddy, wheat, maize, and millets, which was mainly attributed to climate change and related hazards. The decline in local food production meant that HH dependence on external sources for food had increased. Only 32% of HHs had taken some form of adaptive actions in agriculture to address these challenges; actions included not planting certain crops, introducing new crops, changing farming practices, not rearing certain livestock species, and investing in irrigation. The factors affecting the likelihood of a household undertaking adaptive actions included literacy of the head of household, household size, size of owned agricultural land, diversification of income sources, and insurance. Based on these findings, the study has suggested some approaches in the KRB which could contribute to building agricultural resilience to climate change.

Suggested Citation

  • Abid Hussain & Golam Rasul & Bidhubhusan Mahapatra & Shahriar Wahid & Sabarnee Tuladhar, 2018. "Climate change-induced hazards and local adaptations in agriculture: a study from Koshi River Basin, Nepal," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 91(3), pages 1365-1383, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:91:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11069-018-3187-1
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-018-3187-1
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s11069-018-3187-1
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s11069-018-3187-1?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Abid Hussain & Golam Rasul & Bidhubhusan Mahapatra & Sabarnee Tuladhar, 2016. "Household food security in the face of climate change in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(5), pages 921-937, October.
    2. Sujata Manandhar & Vishnu Pandey & Futaba Kazama, 2013. "Climate change and adaptation: an integrated framework linking social and physical aspects in poorly-gauged regions," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 120(4), pages 727-739, October.
    3. Lipy Adhikari & Abid Hussain & Golam Rasul, 2017. "Tapping the Potential of Neglected and Underutilized Food Crops for Sustainable Nutrition Security in the Mountains of Pakistan and Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-18, February.
    4. Oecd, 2009. "Climate Change and Africa," OECD Journal: General Papers, OECD Publishing, vol. 2009(1), pages 5-35.
    5. Belaineh Legesse & Yared Ayele & Woldeamlak Bewket, 2013. "Smallholder Farmers’ Perceptions and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Climate Change in Doba District, West Hararghe, Ethiopia," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 3(3), pages 251-265, March.
    6. Asfaw, Abay & Admassie, Assefa, 2004. "The role of education on the adoption of chemical fertiliser under different socioeconomic environments in Ethiopia," Agricultural Economics, Blackwell, vol. 30(3), pages 215-228, May.
    7. Belaineh Legesse & Yared Ayele & Woldeamlak Bewket, 2013. "Smallholder Farmers' Perceptions and Adaptation to Climate Variability and Climate Change in Doba District, West Hararghe, Ethiopia," Asian Journal of Empirical Research, Asian Economic and Social Society, vol. 3(3), pages 251-265.
    8. Garrett, James L. & Ruel, Marie T., 1999. "Are Determinants of Rural and Urban Food Security and Nutritional Status Different? Some Insights from Mozambique," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 27(11), pages 1955-1975, November.
    9. Ndambiri, Hilary K. & Ritho, Cecilia N. & Mbogoh, Stephen G., 2013. "An Evaluation Of Farmers’ Perceptions Of And Adaptation To The Effects Of Climate Change In Kenya," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 1(1), pages 1-22, July.
    10. Gbetibouo, Glwadys Aymone, 2009. "Understanding farmers' perceptions and adaptations to climate change and variability: The case of the Limpopo Basin, South Africa," IFPRI discussion papers 849, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    11. Bartlett, R. & Bharati, Luna & Pant, Dhruba & Hosterman, H. & McCornick, P. G., 2010. "Climate change impacts and adaptation in Nepal," IWMI Working Papers H043439, International Water Management Institute.
    12. Bharati, Luna & Lacombe, Guillaume & Gurung, Pabitra & Jayakody, Priyantha & Hoanh, Chu Thai & Smakhtin, Vladimir, 2011. "The impact of water infrastructure and climate change on the hydrology of the Upper Ganges River Basin," IWMI Research Reports H044532, International Water Management Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Prabhat Khanal & Rajan Dhakal & Tanka Khanal & Deepak Pandey & Naba Raj Devkota & Mette Olaf Nielsen, 2022. "Sustainable Livestock Production in Nepal: A Focus on Animal Nutrition Strategies," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(5), pages 1-20, May.
    2. Sikha Karki & Paul Burton & Brendan Mackey & Clair Alston-Knox, 2021. "Status and drivers of food insecurity and adaptation responses under a changing climate among smallholder farmers households in Bagmati Province, Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14642-14665, October.
    3. Abid Hussain & Faisal Mueen Qamar & Lipy Adhikari & Asif Iqbal Hunzai & Atta ur Rehman & Kosar Bano, 2021. "Climate Change, Mountain Food Systems, and Emerging Opportunities: A Study from the Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir Landscape, Pakistan," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(6), pages 1-21, March.
    4. Amit Kumar Basukala & Livia Rasche, 2022. "Model-Based Yield Gap Assessment in Nepal’s Diverse Agricultural Landscape," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(8), pages 1-25, August.
    5. Elisabeth Simelton & Tuan Minh Duong & Ella Houzer, 2021. "When the “Strong Arms” Leave the Farms—Migration, Gender Roles and Risk Reduction in Vietnam," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-30, April.
    6. Keshav Lall Maharjan & Clarisse Mendoza Gonzalvo & Manjeshwori Singh, 2024. "Farmer Perspectives on the Economic, Environmental, and Social Sustainability of Environmental Conservation Agriculture (ECA) in Namobuddha Municipality, Kavre, Nepal," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(11), pages 1-18, May.
    7. Basanta Paudel & Zhaofeng Wang & Yili Zhang & Mohan Kumar Rai & Pranesh Kumar Paul, 2021. "Climate Change and Its Impacts on Farmer’s Livelihood in Different Physiographic Regions of the Trans-Boundary Koshi River Basin, Central Himalayas," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(13), pages 1-18, July.
    8. Douglas James Merrey & Abid Hussain & Deepak Dorje Tamang & Bhuwan Thapa & Anjal Prakash, 2018. "Evolving high altitude livelihoods and climate change: a study from Rasuwa District, Nepal," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 10(4), pages 1055-1071, August.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Moranga, Lawrence Ongwae & Otieno, David Jakinda & Oluoch-Kosura, Willis, 2016. "Analysis Of Factors Influencing Tomato Farmers’ Willingness To Adopt Innovative Timing Approaches For Management Of Climate Change Effects In Taita Taveta County, Kenya," Dissertations and Theses 269270, University of Nairobi, Department of Agricultural Economics.
    2. Ram Kumar Phuyal & Niranjan Devkota, 2018. "Rice Farmers’ Climate Change Adaptation in Nepal: Exploring Linkage to Water Availability and Water Sharing Practice," Journal of Agriculture and Crops, Academic Research Publishing Group, vol. 4(4), pages 36-42, 04-2018.
    3. Ndambiri, Hilary K. & Ritho, Cecilia N. & Mbogoh, Stephen G., 2013. "An Evaluation Of Farmers’ Perceptions Of And Adaptation To The Effects Of Climate Change In Kenya," International Journal of Food and Agricultural Economics (IJFAEC), Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, Department of Economics and Finance, vol. 1(1), pages 1-22, July.
    4. Mutunga Evelyn J & Ndungu Charles K & Muendo P, 2018. "Factors Influencing Smallholder Farmers’ Adaptation to Climate Variability in Kitui County, Kenya," International Journal of Environmental Sciences & Natural Resources, Juniper Publishers Inc., vol. 8(5), pages 155-161, February.
    5. Teresiah Wairimu Ng’ang’a & Jeanne Y. Coulibaly & Todd A. Crane & Charles K. Gachene & Geoffrey Kironchi, 2020. "Propensity to adapt to climate change: insights from pastoralist and agro-pastoralist households of Laikipia County, Kenya," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 161(3), pages 393-413, August.
    6. Alejandro del Pozo & Nidia Brunel-Saldias & Alejandra Engler & Samuel Ortega-Farias & Cesar Acevedo-Opazo & Gustavo A. Lobos & Roberto Jara-Rojas & Marco A. Molina-Montenegro, 2019. "Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation Strategies of Agriculture in Mediterranean-Climate Regions (MCRs)," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-16, May.
    7. Alistair Munro, 2020. "Using experimental manipulation of questionnaire design and a Kenyan panel to test for the reliability of reported perceptions of climate change and adaptation," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1081-1105, October.
    8. Popular Gentle & Rik Thwaites & Digby Race & Kim Alexander & Tek Maraseni, 2018. "Household and community responses to impacts of climate change in the rural hills of Nepal," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 147(1), pages 267-282, March.
    9. Bryan, Elizabeth & Behrman, Julia A., 2013. "Community–based adaptation to climate change: A theoretical framework, overview of key issues and discussion of gender differentiated priorities and participation," CAPRi working papers 109, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI).
    10. Hein, Yarzar & Vijitsrikamol, Kampanat & Attavanich, Witsanu & Janekarnkij, Penporn, 2019. "Do Farmers Perceive the Trends of Local Climate Variability Accurately? An Analysis of Farmers’ Perceptions and Meteorological Data in Myanmar," MPRA Paper 93990, University Library of Munich, Germany, revised Apr 2019.
    11. Stephen Shisanya & Paramu Mafongoya, 2016. "Adaptation to climate change and the impacts on household food security among rural farmers in uMzinyathi District of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 8(3), pages 597-608, June.
    12. Munir Ahmed & Ghulam Mustafa & Muhammad Iqbal, 2016. "Impact of Farm Households’ Adaptations to Climate Change on Food Security: Evidence from Different Agro-ecologies of Pakistan," The Pakistan Development Review, Pakistan Institute of Development Economics, vol. 55(4), pages 561-588.
    13. Fernando M. Aragón & Francisco Oteiza & Juan Pablo Rud, 2018. "Climate Change and Agriculture: Farmer Adaptation to Extreme Heat," Discussion Papers dp18-02, Department of Economics, Simon Fraser University.
    14. Hou, L. & Min, S. & Huang, Q. & Huang, J., 2018. "Farmers perceptions of, ex ante and ex post adaptations to drought: Empirical evidence from maize farmers in China," 2018 Conference, July 28-August 2, 2018, Vancouver, British Columbia 277208, International Association of Agricultural Economists.
    15. Shamsheer ul Haq & Ismet Boz & Pomi Shahbaz, 2021. "Adoption of climate-smart agriculture practices and differentiated nutritional outcome among rural households: a case of Punjab province, Pakistan," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 13(4), pages 913-931, August.
    16. Saudamini Das, "undated". "Evaluating the Role of Media in Averting Heat Stroke Mortality: A Daily Panel Data Analysis," Working papers 102, The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics.
    17. Hermann Comoé & Michael Siegrist, 2015. "Relevant drivers of farmers’ decision behavior regarding their adaptation to climate change: a case study of two regions in Côte d’Ivoire," Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, Springer, vol. 20(2), pages 179-199, February.
    18. Etwire, Prince Maxwell, 2020. "The impact of climate change on farming system selection in Ghana," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 179(C).
    19. Hung Gia Hoang, 2020. "Vietnamese smallholders’ perspectives on causes, indicators and determinants of climate change: implication for adaptation strategies," Climatic Change, Springer, vol. 162(3), pages 1127-1142, October.
    20. Sikha Karki & Paul Burton & Brendan Mackey & Clair Alston-Knox, 2021. "Status and drivers of food insecurity and adaptation responses under a changing climate among smallholder farmers households in Bagmati Province, Nepal," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(10), pages 14642-14665, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:91:y:2018:i:3:d:10.1007_s11069-018-3187-1. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.