Abstract

The vulnerability of Nepal to climate change and its low human index makes adaptation very crucial to combat the impacts of climate change, while ensuring sustainable livelihood. One such highly vulnerable community in the Himalayan region of Nepal is the Sherpa communities who have long been the face of mountaineering, and have established their livelihood around the harsh topography of the mountain. As the climate model projections point towards already changing and potential future impacts in the region, it is a question of concern as to how the community perceive these changes and the threat and what kind of adaptation measures they have taken up as a response to these changes. Location specific studies in the area are very less, albeit the transboundary studies in higher elevation. This study aims to find how the community perceives the changes and potential threats of changing climate and if they have been adopting any adaptation measures. The study also aimed to research if they connect these adaptation measures as a way of sustaining their livelihood. This research shows that despite being regarded as a highly vulnerable area, the indigenous Sherpa people are highly unaware about the ongoing climate crisis, and also do not perceive it as a serious future threat. However, they have been adopting autonomous adaptations in response to the harsh climate

Keywords: Climate change; Impacts; Adaptation; Sustainable livelihood; Nepal; Indigenous community