Climate Change
induced Drought and its Impact on Subsistence Farming and Food System in High Mountains:
An Interpretation of Women’s Insight in a Rain-fed Watershed, Kumaon Lesser Himalaya,
India
Tiwari Prakash C.
Disaster Advances; Vol. 17(12); 9-22;
doi: https://doi.org/10.25303/1712da09022; (2024)
Abstract
In Himalaya, constraints of terrain and climate limit the productivity of natural
resources and restrict opportunities of livelihood. This compels majority of population
to practice subsistence farming as a means of survival. The study examines impact
of climate change induced drought on subsistence agriculture and food system with
a case study of Ramgad Watershed located in the rain-fed Lesser Himalayan mountains
in India. The study is primarily based on the interpretation of information collected
and systematized from diverse sources including community perception and other qualitative
and empirical methods. The frequency of droughts has increased over the recent past
and on an average in most of years, the watershed faced two droughts. The majority
of droughts occurred during winter and spring months.
The recurrent and protracted droughts have not only depleted the water resources
and agro-biodiversity but also decreased irrigated agricultural land by 11%. On
an average, 28% villages suffered up-to 50% decline in agricultural production due
to recurrent droughts. 58% of the total inhabitants of the Ramgad Watershed have
been identified as food insecure. This clearly indicates that climate change induced
drought has emerged as one of the major threats to subsistence farming system and
rural food and livelihood security in the rain-fed Lesser Himalayan mountains.
