Climate Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Impacts in

the Himalayan Region of Nepal

Submitted by
Fidel Devkota, MA
Berlin

Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology

Department of Political and Social Sciences
Freie Universitt Berlin
to obtain the academic degree of

Doctor of Philosophy
(Dr.phil.)

Submitted on: 09.06. 2016

1st Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Urte Undine Frmming

nd
2 Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Martin Vo

Defence Date: Jan. 31st 2017

Abstract
Scientific studies and lived realities in situ indicate adverse impact of climate change in the
Himalayan region of Nepal, presenting the existential threat to the local system and societies. For
thousands of year Himalayan region provided refuge to the diverse cultures fleeing the imperial
conquest (Zurick, 1989) but due to climate change, high altitude societies are in the verge of
collapse. The region is not just important because it is historically a melting pot but also because it
feeds the major rivers on either side of the Himalayas, supporting more than half of the humanity (v.
Shiva and Bhatt, 2009). Economy of Nepal also totally depends upon the Himalayas, without
mountains there will be no agriculture and tourism in the country. As the glaciers are retreating,
mountain peaks are without snow cover, water sources are drying out in alarming rate, new vector
and water-borne disease are rampant, pasture and fields are arid and food production is on the
steep decline. Climate and environmental changes in the region has increased the frequency and
severity of extreme weather events in the region which has altered montane ecology beyond
restoration. Agro-pastoralist communities in the region are struggling with their traditional mode of
subsistence. Dwindling natural resources is further complicating the resilience of local communities.
Local knowledge and adaptive techniques are becoming insufficient thus ineffective, forcing
individuals and families to migrate elsewhere for survival as a last resort.

This dissertation explores the lived experience of climate change (v. Abbott and Wilson, 2015) by
some communities from the Himalayan region of Nepal. It presents comprehensive studies on the
climate vulnerabilities in the region and the locals individual and collective response to it based on
participatory adaptation (community based adaptation). It is important for an anthropologist
witnessing the changes to understand and represent what kind of cultural techniques do the local
people utilize for the sustainable use of natural resources and the prevention of and adaptation to
Natural Hazards (Frmming and Reichel, 2011: 228). This dissertation focuses on the human-
environmental relationship in the Himalayas and presents how local view environmental changes
reflecting the social-economical and cultural pattern of the region with an attempt to engage and
contribute to the understanding both the cause of climate and environmental changes and human
response to it (v. Crate and Nutall, 2009). It presents both obvious and not so obvious impact of
climate change in the Himalayas, including future vulnerabilities.

Government and other agencies have failed to address the challenges presented by climate change
and have delivered nothing except for clumsy solutions (v. Rayer, 2006). Most of the vulnerable
communities to climate change are living in developing countries such as Nepal where government
lacks adequate technical and financial resources to deal with the impacts of climate and
environmental changes. Case studies from Lo Mustang region shows that development aid,
technical assistance and global climate funds are mostly ineffective to address the need of
vulnerable communities and it only meets the criteria of yesterday. Most of the global climate policy
and practice is based on western scientific knowledge but it is not the only form of knowledge nor is
it absolute. Environment cant also be simply understood by science or through science (Redclift,
1996), and there are other elements and nuances attached to it. This dissertation demonstrates the
social-cultural elements attached to environment, presenting the importance of local knowledge and
participation to adjust/adapt to the climate change. It highlights why local perspectives is vital to the
global debate of climate change and without understanding intangible heritage of a system/society,
there can be no effective or real adaptation/mitigation to the impact of climate change. Based on the
initiatives taken by Dhe villagers, this dissertation roots for a radical alternative to strive for genuine
political and socio-ecological transformation (v. Kothari, et. al., 2014) to address the global climate
change. Case studies of Dhe and Samzhong resettlement project also demonstrates how existing
framework has fail to address climate change and provide assistance to create resilience
system/societies, and how it doesnt address the urgent and long-term need of such vulnerable
communities. Therefore, this dissertation presents the case for a need of global consensus, a
universally accepted categorical imperative to address the global climate change.

This dissertation is based on qualitative research method but quantitative approach is also briefly
used as per the requirement. It provides the reflexive insight into both emic and etic perspective
exploring the various positioned (v. Abu-Lughod, 1991), selective account (v. Hastrup, 1992), and
partial truth (v. Clifford, 1986) approaches and is accountable to all the three components of the
communicative process: producer, process, and product (v. Ruby, 1980). One of the most important
methodological components of this dissertation is the use of Applied Anthropological (v. Pink, 2006;
2007a; and 2007b) approach entailing problem solving and engaging in cultural brokerage (Pink,
2006). Visual part of the dissertation is specifically based on Applied Visual Anthropology that uses
visual practice to empower research participants with new levels of self-awareness, promote a
specific cause to a target audience (Pink, 2007a: 11) and the visual also brings the fieldwork
experience directly to the context of representation (Pink, 2006:16). Use of visual is not focused on
activism and advocacy but also was required to evoke hard to represent cultural nuances and
memories of the people in the time when cultures are under tremendous pressure for
transformation. To sum it up, this dissertation is a collaborative, participatory and trans-disciplinary
dialogue at the interface between science, policy and civil society.
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