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Volume 7, Issue 2 (Suppl)
J Ecosyst Ecography, an open access journal
ISSN:2157-7625
September 18-20, 2017
September 18-20, 2017 Toronto, Canada
Joint Conference
International Conference on
International Conference on
Environmental Microbiology and Microbial Ecology
&
Ecology and Ecosystems
J Ecosyst Ecography 2017, 7:2 (Suppl)
DOI: 10.4172/2157-7625-C1-030
A study on local perspective of climate change impacts in Rakhaposhi valley of Central Karakoram
National Park, Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan
Anila Ajmal
and
Babar Khan
WWF, Pakistan
T
he present study attempts to provide an insight into the local climate change perspective in Rakhaposhi valley to make it simpler
via bringing the factual illustrations of changing climate in mountain communities to stakeholders, resource managers and
policy makers at local and national level. The finding of the study identifies the state of high altitude ecosystem services and the living
standards of mountain communities, bearing the brunt of climate change. Increasing temperature, decreasing and more intense
short-duration rainfall, and decline in snowfall together corroborate that climate has changed its pattern in the high mountain areas
during the last 25 years. As an impact, in line to this, diminishing glaciers, waning water resource availability, relegating quality of
alpine pastures and agricultural land aided by vegetation shifts, and increased pest infestation have worsened both the quantity and
quality of ecosystem functions. Consequences of these combined effects have affected the local and so the per capita economy of
the region in multiple ways. Resettlement is desirable due to lack of irrigation as well as drinking water supplies supporting life and
livelihoods. In addition to the encumbering natural hazards i.e. GLOFs, flash floods, avalanches, droughts and landslides, outbreaks
of seasonal, water and vector borne diseases have made local survival highly exigent. Therefore, this situation calls for an emergence
of implementing an adaptive strategy against climate change in natural ecosystem, enabling the custodian communities to manage
ecosystem functions for life, livelihoods and other ecosystem services and building community resilience against climatic anomalies.
anila.ajmal1@gmail.com