Impact of Climate Change, Its Factor, Effects and Adaptation Measures on Different Area of Arghakhanchi District, Nepal
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Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(7): 1-14 International Journal of Advanced Research in Biological Sciences ISSN: 2348-8069 www.ijarbs.com DOI: 10.22192/ijarbs Coden: IJARQG (USA) Volume 7, Issue 7 -2020 Research Article DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.22192/ijarbs.2020.07.07.001 Impact of climate change, its factor, effects and adaptation measures on different area of Arghakhanchi District, Nepal Satish Bhusal*1, Sangita Bashyal ^2, Prabesh Adhikari3 1School of Environmental Science and Management, (SchEMS) Kathmandu, Nepal, 2Kathmandu Forestry College, Kathmandu Nepal, Kathmandu Forestry College, Kathmandu Nepal^3 *Corresponding author: Satish Bhusal E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Climate change is currently one of the greatest threats to forest conservation and livelihood security of forest users. A case study entitled Impact of climate change, its factor, effects and adaptation measures on different area of Arghakhanchi District, Nepal “. The main objective of the study was to understand people’s perceptions on climate change and its impact on local environment, main factor of causing the change and explore the strategies adapted by local people to cope with climate change impacts on their livelihoods and find out the contribution of community forest on adopting different adaptation strategies by CFUG members. Primary information was collected from household survey and focus group discussion, key informant interview and direct observation, and secondary data was extracted from internet, different journals and organizations related to climate change, its impacts and adaptation measures and factor of climate change i.e Forest fire was determined by using MODIS data. The data were analyzed using statistical tools and computer programs like MS excel, SPSS, arc GIS etc and interpreted in main text with table, figure and charts. The result of the study shows that there was increase in temperature and decrease in rainfall has been felt by the respondents and also been validated by climatic data analysis. In addition, 64% of the total male respondents and 67% of the total female respondents stated that the number of disease and pest has highly increased in agriculture crops. Similarly, 31% of the total respondents have felt change in monsoon pattern, while 32% of the total respondents suffered from forest fire, 19% from flash flooding and 18% from drought in the study areas. The result showed the average 22 fire occurrence with 14,807.19 ha forest was burnt throughout the year. Temperature greater than 33°c, with slope higher than 35% having less than 1000mfrom road and settlement area has been found to be high risk. Overall, results show that, the trends of forest fire incidence found to be increasing. To cope with these problems, CFUG has conducted training, demonstration tour, and programs focusing to the poor, women and disadvantaged groups for increasing awareness on climate change and its adaptation measures such as check dam construction to control gully and increasing awareness on off-farm income generating activities such as ecotourism, to grow off- seasonal vegetables under plastic tunnels. A key conclusion coming out of this review is that climate change is not only an issue of international concern but is now a local level problem in Nepal. Keywords: Climatic hazards, MODIS DATA, people’s perception, CFUGs etc. 1 Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(7): 1-14 Introduction particularly, in the mountain and flooding, sedimentation as well as drought in the low land Existence of life and vegetation on earth is the result regions of Nepal. The climate change impacts at of favorable climate and the availability of freshwater. household level in this region remains fragmented and limate on the earth is influenced by several processes inadequate to support the development of planned and interactions not only in the earth and its evidence-based adaptation strategies. surroundings. Climate change is no longer a subject of theoretical meteorology, but is a real issue affecting Community forestry (CF) is an institutional innovation almost all the lives and activities on the earth. It refers of empowering local communities in managing forest to the variation in the earth global climate or in resources for their benefit. Community level of forest regional climate over time. But for the United Nation management helps in income generating activities on Framework Convention on Climate Change one hand while in other hand regulating ecosystem, (UNFCCC), climate change means “all change in downstream settlements benefits from watershed climate, directly or indirectly attributed to human conservation, carbon sequestration and aesthetic activity that alters the composition of global values as in forms of Environmental Services (ES). atmosphere and which is in addition to natural climate The community forest of Nepal has higher potentiality variability observed over comparable time period” for REDD+ (Reduce Emissions from deforestation and (UNFCCC, 1992, p4). forest degradation) and / or PES (Payment for Environmental Services) mechanisms. The successful Climate change is now recognized as one of the most implementation of these mechanisms help to conserve serious challenges facing the world – its people, the the forest and can contribute to rural development and environment and its economies. It is believed that poverty reduction which ultimately increase the most global warming we can now observe is capacity of people to adapt to climate change attributable to emissions of” (greenhouse gas)” GHGs. (Bishwokarma, 2012). Here is no any study on climate Climate change results due to emissions of greenhouse change impacts and adaptation in community forest gases from fuel combustion, deforestation, user group of Arghakhanchi district, and therefore, this urbanization and industrialization that vary in solar study is more important and essential for assessing the energy, temperature and precipitation. Climate change effects of climate change on CFUG members of and biodiversity loss are more challenging issues that Community Forest Users Group, and adaptation used we face today. Both are complex and cross-cutting to cope with these impacts. Thus, community forest issues, which affect nearly all human activity (CF) is a holistic approach to mitigate climate change (European Union, 2013). Climate change is a global and improve livelihood of local people. phenomenon. There is growing international consensus about its occurrence; for instance average Research Methodology global air temperature rise by around 0.6˚c over the twentieth century and the 1998 was the warmest year The study was carried out in six community forest since reliable, widespread instrumental measurement including (3municipalities and 3rural municipalities) become available in the late 19th century of Arghakhanchi district. It was extended with (htpp://en.wikipedia.org). 28000'1.80‘‘N latitude and 83014'28. 80‘‘ Elongitude. Arghakhanchi district lies between 305m to 2515 m Nepal climate is influenced by Himalayan mountain above mean sea level. The district can be broadly range and south Asian monsoon. The climate is divided into two physiographic regions i.e. categorized into four distinct season; pre-monsoon 68%Mahabharat hills and 32%Churia hills. Because of (March-May), monsoon (JuneSeptember), post- the topological structure, the Churia hills made mostly monsoon (October-November) and winter (December- of soft lime stones and the Mahabharat region made of February). Annual rainfall is approximately 1600 mm. Phyllite, Schist, Quartzite, limestone. The monsoon rain is most abundant in the eastern and gradually decreases as it moves southeast. The Hot season exists between March to June with the temperature trend increases from north to south and temperature up to 40°C. This season is the fire decreases with altitude (MOE, 2010). The most occurring season. Monsoon i.e. rainy season starts vulnerable population to climate change and from July to September. The average rainfall in the variability have been rural communities with few district is 2,200 mm. Cold season exists between resources to cope with extreme weather events like December to February with the temperature decreases landslides, erosion, and drought (IPCC 2007) up to6.5°C.Forest covers 62.05% of the total land area 2 Int. J. Adv. Res. Biol. Sci. (2020). 7(7): 1-14 of the district. Majority of the forest area is dominated variegata), etc.are also available in district.Major by Sal (Shorearobusta),forest. Saj (Terminalia forest types found in Arghakhanchi district are Hill Sal elliptica), Bajh (Quercus leucotrichophora), Katush forest, Chir pine forest and Chir pine broad leaved (Castanopsistribuliodes), Rhododendron mixed forest .Chilaune, Katus, Assna, Guras, (Rhododendron ferrugineum), Uttis (Alnusnepalensis), Karma,Jamun are scattered in patches all over the Chuire (Aesandrabutyracea), Koiralo (Bauhinia district which was shown in (Fig 1 and Table 1 ). Figure 1: Map of study area Table 1: Data of CF No. of Area Name of CF Household Female Male Total (ha.) Jagadamda 66 176 180 356 25.28 Jamirekhola mahela 72 198 213 411 3.39 Bhalutakura 179 453 509 962 69.76 Devesthan Mahela 56 181 198 379 14.25 Putali 118 320 339 659 17.02 Chapdada 136 353 359 712 67.87 Primary Data collection scope and consent was taken from all of them. Thereafter, they expressed commitment of support A. Meeting with CF executive committee during the study. From this meeting, forest areas, forest users, floral and faunal species,