3rd May 2023, 1pm-3pm

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Speaker: Bindhy Wasini Pandey, Professor of Geography at Department of Geography, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi.
Climate change adaptation in the high altitudinal zone of the Himalaya is a pressing need as changing precipitation and temperature patterns are influencing the local life. Leh District is one of the most fragile and remote areas in South Asia. Communities living here have adapted to the local conditions over many centuries but recent years have witnessed the changing climate and climate paradigms in the region. Here the human habitat is totally dependent on glacial meltwater. The high range of temperature and climatic variability are affecting the precipitation pattern and glacial-cover, which are generating the disastrous situation for survival in Leh-Ladakh region.

The aim of this study is to observe the spatio-temporal trends of climate change and to assess the indigenously adopted adjustment methods and government initiatives against it, which will be helpful in inclusive development programs for mountain communities in the Leh-Ladakh region. In this study, it has been found that the changing nature of the climate is affecting the local lifestyle and livelihood. The major source of livelihood has been agriculture, horticulture and animal rearing but in present days the changing paradigm of climate has brought in a difficult challenge of water scarcity. Due to this significant alteration, snowfall is decreasing and the rate of snow melting is increasing consistently. It has also been found that the seasonal availability of water is a very important aspect of daily life in this region. Therefore, local and government initiatives are particularly needed in terms of conservation and judicious use of water resources.