Ang Rita Sherpa: Community Climate Change Adaptation Everest Region ppt(rfs)

Ang Rita Sherpa & Ang Chiri Sherpa Solukhumbu, Nepal JULY 2013

Outline BACKGROUND OF NEPAL

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INTRODUCTION OF NEPAL PROGRAM STRATEGIES IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAINS MOUNTAIN CHALLENGES AND THREATS: CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE OMMUNITY BASED CLIMATE CHANGE & CADAPTATION AND MITIGATION WHY HIGH MOUNTAIN GLACIAL WATERSHED PROGRAM? HMGWP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES CHALLENGES LESSONS LEARN RECOMMENDATION AWARENESS

NEPAL

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In the heart of the Great Himalayan Region The 15th poorest country in the world Over 55% of the population live under the international poverty line of $1.25 a day Over 10 million of its population are at greater risk of natural disasters including floods, drought, disease outbreaks and forest fires Emerging from a 10 – year civil war with fragile peace process

Program Strategies

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Encourage local people in program design, planning and implementation Local capacity building to strengthen participatory process Education and awareness on environmental and cultural values Respect traditional practices on climate change and adaptation Community based bottom up planning approach

IMPORTANCE OF MOUNTAINS :

§ Mountains occupy 24% of the global and surface area § Home to 12% of the world’s population § Mountains have significant ecological, aesthetic, and socioeconomic importance

§ The mountains are home to indigenous people § But in recent times, the mountain ecosystems have been faced climate change § The increased temperature is higher in the mountains then in plains

Mountains are important for: 1. Freshwater • More than half of humanity relies on the fresh water that accumulates in mountains • Mountains are the earth’s unique freshwater reservoirs • Mountains are often called nature’s water towers • All major rivers in the world have their headwaters in mountains

Mountains are important for: contd‌‌

2. CULTURE The Himalayan Mountains are unique religions and cultures that thrive in the remote mountain communities that call the Himalayas home

Mountains are important for: contd‌‌

3. AGRICULTURE & LIVESTOCK

Traditional agriculture and livestock practices are an important livelihood option for mountain people

Mountains are important for: contd:

4. BIODIVERSITY The region is equally important for its rich biodiversity and is popular amongst biologists, botanists and ornithologists

Mountains are important for: contd‌

5. NON-TIMBER FOREST PRODUCT (NTFP)

The local people also heavily depend on edible plants from mountains

Mountains are important for: contd‌

6. TOURISM The successful accent of Mt. Everest in 1953 made Nepal a popular destination for trekking and mountaineering expeditions

Number of Tourists entering SNP

Number in thousands

45000 40000

36212

35000 30000 25000

Number of tourists

20000 15000

10310

10000

4257

5000 0

Year

60 1960

1975

YEARS

1990

2012

MOUNTAIN CHALLENGES and THREATS:

• MOST REMOTE AND DISADVANTAGED IN THE WORLD • POOR COMMUNICATION • LACK OF ACCESS • CLIMATE CHANGE • TOURISM • DEFORESTATION • POLLUTION

Mountains challenges: contd……

ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS: • • • • •

WASTE GENERATIONS OVER EXPLOTATION OF FOREST RESOURCES INCREASED LODGES COSUMES MORE TIMBERS CULTURAL CHANGE CROWDING AND CONGESTIONS

On the positive side

Increased access to: • Education, • Health care • Electricity (in some villages),

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE 1. MELTING OF GLACIERS • Many small glaciers in Khumbu have already disappeared • New lakes are forming (IMJA) • Risk of GLOFs (Three such floods have occurred in the Khumbu within living memory).

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE GLOF

Fire Hazard Changing agriculture

Vegetation shift

IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE CONTD……

WINDSTORM

LANDSLIDE

DROUGHT

FLOOD

CLIMATE CHANGE ADAPTATION & MITIGATION BY LOCAL INSTUTIONS

Local institution formed with the aim of restoring fragile alpine ecosystems and climate change adaptation and mitigation

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd……

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd……

PROTECTING NATURAL RESOURCES • Established alpine nursery • Established kerosene depot • Research on alpine vegetation restorations • Introduced alternative energy such as solar and wind energy

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd‌‌

Local people have taken their own initiative in agriculture and energy

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd……

SUPPORTING LIVELIHOODS In order to diversify livelihoods, KACC helped local to processes seabuckthorn juice to sell to locals and tourists.

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd……

IMPROVED INFRASTRUCTURES:

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RESTORED AND MANAGED PORTER REST HOUSE

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ESTABLISHED WATER SUPPLY SCHEME

9/20/13

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IMPROVED BRIDGE ACCESS

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd……

ECOLOGICAL RESILENCE • • • •

Banned juniper harvesting as fuel wood use Banned juniper incense use by expeditions Reforestation Raise awareness at local level

Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Contd‌‌

KACC facilitated the Government of Nepal hold a historic cabinet meeting in Kalapathar 5,542m on Climate Change

HIGH MOUNTAIN GLACIAL WATERSHED PROGRAM (HMGWP)

• Strengthen scientific, social, and institutional capacity for managing dangerous glacial lakes in mountains • Implement community-based, participatory glacial lake risk reduction project in Nepal • Foster next generation of climber-scientists • Raise global awareness for importance of high mountain glacial watersheds • Establish High Mountain Glacial Watershed Community of Practice

HMGWP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES: 1 Community Consultation and Adaptation Planning course by Dr. Glen Anderson and Meghan Hartman in July 2012 2 Community based Climate Change and Adaptation workshops in Khumbu September 2012 (Jonathan Cook and Meghan Hartman) 3 Sharing September workshop findings with different 4 Stakeholders in February 2012 5 District Level Coordination Meeting in Solu Salleri March 2013 6 Reconnect of CC in Khumbu in April 2013.. Dr. A Byers, CC workshop in Thame, Gokyo, Phortse and Pangboche

HMGWP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES CONTD…..

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Community based Climate Change adaptation workshops

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Sharing findings of CC workshops and collect feed back from stakeholders

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District Level Coordination meeting on Climate Change HMGWP

HMGWP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES CONTD‌

Produced and displayed information on Climate Change in Dingboche

HMGWP PROGRAM ACTIVITIES CONTD‌

Conducted community-based participatory sharing at the Imja lake

Challenges CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITY

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Lack of awareness on climate change Lack of financial and technical resources Highly fragile mountain ecosystems Harsh climatic conditions Limited access of governmental organizations Lack of road access Lack of communication Weak institutional framework (nodal agency)

Recommendations

• Need to study on climate change impact and their vulnerability • Consider to explore other glaciers and new lakes formation besides Imja lake • Hydropower project be established along with the lake reduction project • Continue raise awareness on climate change • Need to develop climate change adaptation plan with maximum local people’s input • Need financial as well as technical resources to address the climate change issues of the area • Develop joint concern of government, NGOs, INGOs, and International community (donors, countries, for addressing the

Education and awareness is necessary as means of building community preparedness towards climate vulnerabilities

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!