Climate Change and Himalayan Indigenous Peoples in Nepal

Climate Change and Himalayan Indigenous Peoples in Nepal Nepal is a Himalayan landlocked, federal democratic country lying in between the Peoples Republic of China in its north and the Republic of Indiain its south, east and west. Nepal is also known as the country of Mount Everest 'Sagarmatha Chyomolongma', the highest peak in the world. Nepal is one of the forty largest countries of the world in terms of its geography, elevation changes drastically in a short span due to its unique and varying physiographic regions that includes high Himalayas, high mountains, middle mountains, siwalik and the Terai.Nepal is a Himalayan landlocked, federal democratic country lying in between the Peoples Republic of China in its north and the Republic of Indiain its south, east and west. Nepal is also known as the country of Mount Everest 'Sagarmatha Chyomolongma', the highest peak in the world. Nepal is one of the forty largest countries of the world in terms of its geography, elevation changes drastically in a short span due to its unique and varying physiographic regions that includes high Himalayas, high mountains, middle mountains, siwalik and the Terai.The Himalaya mountain range runs across Nepal's northern and western parts, and eight of the world's ten highest mountains are situated within its territory. Characterised by its diverse geography and climate, the Himalayan region is a storehouse of biodiversity and constitutes an important component of the global ecosystem. In Nepal, the Himalayan region has more than 2,300 glacial lakes and more than 3,200 glacial rivers originate in the Himalayas. Himalayan glaciers feed seven of Asia's great rivers: the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze and Huang Ho, and it is estimated that 20% of the world's population depend directly on the use of Himalayan resources for their livelihood and well-being. Agriculture and power generation in the downstream regions are fully dependent on the freshwater supply fed by the discharges of Himalayan glaciers. For this reason, the mountain range is called the 'water tower of Asia',often with regionally and locally-specific variations. For example, in neighbouring India to the south, the Himalaya range is called 'the water tower of the Ganges', and provides some 45% of the annual flow of the Ganges and its tributaries. The indigenous peoples of Himalayan Regions of NepalNepal is a pluralistic country with Diverse castes and ethnicities, cultures, languages, religions and practices. According to the population census of 2001, the population of indigenous nationalities comprise 8.4 million of 22.7 Million total Population of Nepal or 37.2 %o of the total Population. Fifty-nine indigenous groups are legally recognized but numerous groups are yet to be recognized. The Mountain Indigenous Groups Recognized by the Government of Nepal are as follows:1. Bara Gaunle2. Lhomi, 3. Singsawa, 4. Bhutia5. Byasi, 6. Larke, 7. Lhopa, 8, Dolpo, 9. Marphali Thakali, 10. Mugali, 11. Siyar, 12. Tangbe, 13. Thakali, 14.Tokpegola, 15. Tingaunle Thakali, 16. Tangbe, 17. Walung 18. ThakaliThe Himalayan region is home to millions of indigenous peoples. Of the total population livening in the Himalayan region, approximately 30% are indigenous peoples. These indigenous groups have their own customary laws, folklore, culture and traditions, which have symbiotic relationships with the Himalayan ecological biosphere and conservation. The indigenous peoples' settlements are distributed throughout the fragile topography of the Himalayas. The indigenous peoples of the region depend on small-scale land farming systems, producing crops such as wheat, barley and potatoes. Farming is combined with livestock rearing and indigenous communities depend on high alpine natural resources such as timber, fodder, fuels, fruits, nuts, roots, vegetables and medicinal herbs. Often, the agricultural produce is meagre and only sufficient to sustain families for six months. Consequently, the indigenous peoples of the Nepal Himalaya are among the most disadvantaged and marginalized groups in the country. Impacts of Climate change in the HimalayasNepal is no exceptional to the problems related with the climate change. Climate Change is happening and people have started to feel its impacts on their daily lives. It is estimated that the average annual warming temperature of Nepal is 0.06?C. This temperature increment has brought serious impacts on the livelihoods of poor people of Nepal. This warming atmosphere also directly accelerates the rate of glacier melting at the Himalayan region consequently forming massive glacier lakes and retreat of Glacier River. Continuous expansion of such glaciers lakes increases the risk of catastrophic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) events. GLOF results in loss of lives, property, costly infrastructure and displacement of local people. Mountains are a sensitive indicator of that effect because mountain ecosystems are easily disrupted by variations in climate. As global temperatures rise, mountain glaciers are melting at unprecedented an rate, which has a serious impact on flora and fauna as well as on the lives and livelihoods of the indigenous peoples in the area. Over the past few years, local observations have reported less snow-fall in the winter, increased rain and snowfall after the winter, unusually intense summer rainfall and increased frequency of avalanches, flash floods and hailstorms. Mountain areas such as the Nepal Himalaya are therefore expected to be most affected by the adverse impacts of climate change.Effects of on subsistence activitiesEnvironmental and ecological changes noted in the Nepal Himalaya indicate that global warming will have a serious impact on the lives and livelihoods of indigenous communities. Many mountain-living indigenous peoples depend on agriculture for their livelihood and there is increasing concern that climate change will have a significant adverse impact on farming. The study into indigenous peoples' views on climate change revealed that landslides, soil erosion and debris flow as a consequenceof melting glaciers, as well as changing rainfall patterns, are leading to low productivity and crop failures are affecting many Himalayan indigenous farming communities, who are increasingly facing food insecurity. The informants also reported observing adverse affects on the Himalayan ecosystem, and hence on the natural resources on which their livelihood depends, due to changing rainfall patterns and other climate changes. Himalayan indigenous peoples are cattle and sheep herders, and declining production of grass in the Himalayan grasslands due to moisture deficiencies resulting from reduced snow deposits is therefore a serious concern, forcing people to seek grazing at higher altitudes. Stream flow and spring characteristics have also changed dramatically in recent years, making the management of water supplies a challenge.Melting glaciersMelting of Glacier and Loss of Water Storage CapacityOver the last thirty years, there has been an average temperature increase of 0.6o Celsius in the Nepal Himalaya, which is contributing to increased rainfall and glacial melt. Himalayan glaciers have been in a state of general retreat since the 1850s, but this situation has accelerated and they are now considered to be receding faster than glaciers elsewhere on the planet. The occasional bursting of glacial lakes in the past has seriously damaged the lives and livelihoods of mountain communities. Melting glaciers make the Himalayan region, and thereby also the land which indigenous peoples occupy, more vulnerable to flash floods, soil erosion, landslides and debris flow. Such threats operate in conjunction with other changes to the patterns of river flow, spring water recharge, precipitation and vegetation types expected as a result of global warming in the Himalayas.5 As well as the implications for regional biodiversity, glacial melt will affect people and livelihoods and have severe consequences for food security.Biodiversity and Climate ChangeIndigenous Peoples Live and interact with ecosystems and they are aware of changes in the appearance of migratory birds and the presence of new spieces. Indigenous Peoples are intricately linked with Biodiversity and climate poses a threat to this link.With the rise in global temperatures, conditions in the different altitudes change. Detailed studies have shown evidence of an upward movement on mountains of tree lines and alpine plants. Plants at the highest elevations are competing with ? and losing out to -- plants normally found at lower elevations. Such floral retreats and advances on mountains have also taken place in the past but current changes are taking place at an unprecedented speed. Consequently, the diverse Himalayan plant and animal species are being seriously affected. Many rare species are already disappearing or are at risk of extinction. If the current speed with which changes are occurring due to rising temperatures continues, trees are likely to cover the high mountains and indigenous peoples will be deprived of their traditional resources and biodiversity, the means with which they have traditionally been able to cope with variation and change.Weather-related extreme events like excessive rainfall, longer drought periods, landslides and floods are increasing both in terms of magnitude and frequency. Mean annual precipitation is increasing, as is the occurrence of intense rainfall. This causes more erosion of soils and riverbeds and banks, as well as sedimentation on fertile land. More floods and glacial lake outbursts will destroy irrigation and water supply systems, roads, bridges, settlements and productive land. In the mountain regions, there is an increasing risk of infectious diseases as an indirect consequence of warmer temperatures. Scientists have reported that the mosquitoes that carry malaria, dengue and yellow fever are spreading to higher altitudes as temperatures warm up. Ticks are proliferating northwards and at higher altitudes, causing disease, and insectpests are predicted to spread and cause damage to crops.9 Indigenous peoples in the Himalaya region are among the poorest in the world and, with climatechange affecting their subsistence base, it will be increasingly difficult to ward off infectious diseases.Indigenous peoples' perception onclimate change and its effectsAccording to the indigenous Peoples they have been observing the melting of ice and glaciers, and environmental changes in their traditional territories for many years. Although they are not familiar with scientific data on climate change, they are experiencing the disappearance of foods, medicinal plants and herbs and they feel certain that the changing climate is the reason for the changes they are experiencing in their daily interactions with the local environment.According to Mr. Appa Sherpa, a veteran Nepali climber who holds the world record for climbing Mount Everest for 19th times said a snow trail along the route to the peak was now just a stretch of bare rocks, as climate change pushed up snowlines and shrank glaciers subsequently making it even harder to scale the world's tallest peak. "This makes climbing the mountain difficult because walking on naked rocks wearing crampons is hard," Sherpa, 49, said after his expedition during which he carried a banner that read: "Stop Climate Change; Let the Himalayas Live!" Positive impacts of climate changeDespite many negative impacts of climate change there are some positive changes have also been noted. As per a respondent from Mustang and Manang districts of Western Nepal revealed that, surprisingly, many people in the region feel positive about climatic changes and are hopeful about the future of the environment:"As per Some of the respondent the impact is positive. Farmers are growing new vegetables such as cauliflower, cabbage, chilli, tomato and cucumber, which used to need greenhouses to survive. Local fruits have better sizes and tastes. New plants that only used to grow at lower altitudescan now be found. Many note the fact that their Himalayan district is greener than it was a few decades ago. Local residents say this is because of the changing climate rather than technological inputs or improved seedvarieties." The study, however, stresses that most people are unaware of the real consequences of global warming and that communities who are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change are generally unaware of the nature of possible impacts.Socio-Cultural impacts of climate changeThe pressure on glacial lakes, causing landslides, soil erosion and so on, not only has practical implications for indigenous communities in Himalaya, it also has cultural impacts. The Himalayan range and its snow, water, air and biological resources have secular, cultural, religious and spiritual value for indigenous peoples in the region. Many believe that their ancestors' souls live in the Himalayan lakes and they visit the lakes to show respect to these souls and pray for good health, a good harvest, healthy livestock and wealth. With many glacial lakes on the brink of bursting, it has in some cases become dangerous for people to visit these important places of worship. There is thus a danger that the cultural, as well as religious and spiritual, dimensions of the Himalayan landscape, along with the ancestral memories inscribed on it, are in danger of disappearing along with the glaciers.Nepal's International Commitments? Nepal is a signatory of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio De Janeiro in 1992? Ratification of ILO -169? Adoption of UNDRIP and Voted in Favor by Nepal.Conclusion and recommendationsIt is evident that indigenous peoples living in the Nepal Himalaya region are affected by changes in the natural resource base on which they fully depend as a consequence of climate change. And the effects are likely to be intensified in the future as continued climate change is predicted to lead to major changes in freshwater flows, with dramatic impacts on biodiversity, people and their livelihoods. Understanding how climate change affects indigenous communities in mountain areas is vital as governments and international organizations develop strategies to reverse current global warming trends, producing treaties such as the Kyoto Protocol and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Way Forward? The World Bank Operational Policy 4.10 on Indigenous Peoples should be used from the inception to the implementation of FCPF-Supported Projects.? The United Nations declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples should serve as a key framework in the formulation of plans for development and should be considered in all processes related to climate change at national, regional and global levels.? The safeguard policies of the multilateral banks and the existing and future policies on indigenous peoples of United Nations bodies and other multilateral bodies, should be implemented in all climate change-related projects and programs.? The Social Dimension of climate change needs to be considered so that the social and cultural impacts on indigenous peoples including indigenous women are more visible. ? Adaptation Funds should be provided immediately to indigenous peoples who are affected by climate change related disasters, including an indigenous Peoples fund for climate change. ? Effective participation of indigenous peoples should be ensured in the formulation and implementation of national policies on climate change.References:NEFIN, ILO, ( 2005), ILO Convention no 169 and Peace Building in NepalAndreas, S. (2007): The Mountain Perspective as an Emerging Element. In International Development Agenda Sustainable Mountain Development, ICIMOD 53:5Tebtebba Foundation, (2008); Guide on climate change and indigenous peoples.Development Agenda Sustainable Mountain Development, ICIMOD 53:11www.mountainpartnership.org/issues/climate.htmlDahal, N.: Perceptions of Climate Change in the Himalayas.Available at: www.cru.uea.ac.uk/tiempo/newswatch/feature050910.thmwww.mountainpartnership.org/issues/climate.htmlhttp://www.tyndall.ac.uk/publications/Indigenouspeoples.pdfLucky Sherpa, 2005, Study of Himalayan Indigenous Women , HIWNwww.mountainpartnership.org/issues/climate.htmlwww.mountainpartnership.org/issues/climate.htmlwww.icimod.org.np www.nniw.org.npLucky SherpaMember of Constituent Assembly Nepal