Assessing Impacts of Climate Change and Water Induced Disasters from Gendered Perspective in Darchula, Nepal

Sajani Shrestha, Ph.D and Sushila Chatterjee Nepali, Ph.D

1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Arts, Sinop University, 57000, Sinop, Turkey.

2. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Ankara University, 06100 Tandoğan, Ankara, Turkey.

Abstract: Climate change induced natural disasters are predicted to be increasing and its impacts are predominantly floods, rainfall variation and temperature rise with melting water towers and low water during rainy season. Especially the water induced disasters have impacted on involuntarily displacement which is likely to increase vulnerability of human communities, their livelihoods and ecosystems. Among the flood disasters linking to climate change is also seen in 2013 in Darchula in Mid-June with unprecedented rainfall in Uttarakhand and Far West of Nepal. The Gendered perspective of impacts on climate change and coping with disasters so far have not been assessed in detail. Thus, this study was designed to understand and assess Impacts of Climate Change and Water Induced Disaster with Coping Strategies from Gendered Perspective in Darchula District, Nepal. The research findings based on focus group discussion and key informant interview indicates that the families living in Shree Bagad, Khalanga, Dhap, Ukku and Galfaiarea were affected severely and lost their fertile land and houses. According to the respondents both men and women highlighted that the poorest of the poor in the village were displaced and the richer communities migrated to Mahendra Nagar. 90% of the respondents mentioned the major hazards mapped in the regions are directly and indirectly linked to climate change. The impacts observed since BS 2050 onwards are floods and landslides, which has made the whole Darchula more vulnerable than the last 30 years. Finally, both the respondents felt that sufficient coping strategies by people themselves and government are inadequate and climate change awareness for adaptation and building resilience capacity is needed.

Keywords: vulnerability, climate change, adaptation, floods and landslides.

Pages: 99 – 120 | Full PDF Paper