Climate Change and the Future of Himalayan Farming

Over the past three decades, climate change and other uncertainties have wreaked havoc on diverse livelihoods in the Himalayas. Farming communities cope with these changes based on their perceptions of changing climatic patterns. This volume seeks to understand the challenges faced by the Himalayan farmers and their agricultural institutions in constantly changing external production conditions. Given that agriculture is most sensitive to climate change, the aim of this volume is to relate contemporary farming practices with projected future changes. Climate change, the contributors to the volume argue, is not the sole factor that impacts agricultural practices. Climate is only one aspect of a wide array of factors that lead to multiple kinds of uncertainties among the farming communities. The authors of the volume use the lens of flexibility to debate and discuss farmers and farming systems that are most suited to adapt to a future burdened with uncertainty. This volume takes a long view of the year 2100 and projects a course of action that best prepares farmers and farming communities to future climate changes and generalized uncertainties.

Tor H Aase is Professor in Geography, University of Bergen, Norway. He is also Chairman of the Nordic Association of South Asian Studies.