Department of Geography, Prithvi Narayan Campus, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur, Nepal.
Department of Environmental Planning, Seoul National University, Gwanak-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Environ Monit Assess. 2022 Jul 22;194(9):606. doi: 10.1007/s10661-022-10286-3.
Climate change has become one of the highlighted issues of the world, resulting in vulnerability and adverse effects on livelihoods. It leads to an undeniable challenge for policymakers, the government, and other respective associations to formulate effective strategies; however, before formulating any coping, adaptation, or mitigation strategies, understanding the reality and perception of local people is crucial. This study investigated whether local farmers inhabiting Lower Mustang are aware of climatic change. The study comprised various methodologies, such as household surveys, field visits and focus group discussions (FGD). The farmers' responses were consistent with the actual temperature and precipitation data recorded between 1973 and 2018 at meteorological stations situated near the aforementioned regions. The finding shows that the average annual temperature of this region has risen by 0.021 °C/year over the last 45 years. Similarly, the annual precipitation increased 1.83 mm/year on average, which was also acknowledged by local farmers. From the field visit, it was also noticed that the vulnerability of climate change is considerably high and has insufficient capacity to cope with climate change. Thus, the government, and other stakeholders should assist in building the adaptive capacity of this Himalayan region.
气候变化已成为世界关注的焦点问题之一，导致人们的生计变得脆弱并受到负面影响。这对政策制定者、政府和其他相关协会制定有效策略提出了不可否认的挑战；然而，在制定任何应对、适应或缓解策略之前，了解当地人民的实际情况和认知至关重要。本研究调查了居住在下木斯塘的当地农民是否意识到气候变化。该研究采用了多种方法，如家庭调查、实地考察和焦点小组讨论（FGD）。农民的回答与记录在案的实际温度和降水数据一致，这些数据是在上述地区附近的气象站 1973 年至 2018 年间记录的。研究结果表明，该地区的年平均气温在过去 45 年中每年上升 0.021°C。同样，年降水量平均每年增加 1.83 毫米，这也得到了当地农民的认可。从实地考察中还可以看出，气候变化的脆弱性相当高，应对气候变化的能力不足。因此，政府和其他利益相关者应协助建设喜马拉雅地区的适应能力。
