Community adaptation to climate change: A case study of District Chitral

Abstract

During recent years, the impact of climatic change has been observed through the country. According to the Global climate risk index 2020 study, Pakistan is amongst the top 10 countries badly affecting by the climate change with annual average during 1999 to 2018. On contrary Pakistan contributes only 0.8% of the world’s total greenhouse gases and placed at 135th position in the world’s ranking. While climate change is badly affecting the human lives and their livelihood assets, it also provokes different types of hydrometeorological hazards which is now frequently occurring in different parts of the country. The harsh reality is that we have to accept these changes occurring and hence need to take different adaptation and mitigation measures to tackle these climatic changes. Realizing the fact, although the Government of Pakistan gave it high priority and for this purpose, a separate ministry has already been established which are taking different adaptation and mitigation measures to reduce the consequences of climate change. Communities are always at the verge of facing consequences therefore if is of high importance to aware the communities on climate change adaptation options so they can adjust their lives and livelihood measures that are climate smart and disaster resilient. The electronic and print media have diverted attention of the government and non-government stakeholders towards District Upper and Lower Chitral of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. Both districts are located in extreme northern part of the province with high altitude barren mountains, harsh cold winter, dry hot summer, heavy snowfall, glacier melting, lack of basic services and on top of that the Lowari tunnel is the only connection between Chitral and rest of the country. During recent years, Chitral has faced different disasters including river and flash floods, snow avalanches, glacial lake outburst floods, land sliding and drought, while Chitral is also exposed to earthquake hazards due to its physiographic location and has been facing frequent jerks of earthquakes. Due to recent increase of disasters events and further located in far off areas, the rural communities located in the high mountains are badly affecting as their livelihood assets and agriculture are always badly affecting by the frequent disasters. Through this research study, an attempt has been made to collect data in the field, analyze the climatic changes, explore key finding and suggest different recommendations for the communities, government and non-government stakeholders to support the communities in taking adaptation measures to adjust lives with the climate change.