Understanding the community’s perception of climate change and adaptations in the Mid Hills of Pakistan
Understanding the community’s perception of climate change and adaptations in the Mid Hills of Pakistan
LAILA SHAHZAD*1, ARIFA TAHIR2 & FAIZA SHARIF3
ABSTRACT
Climate change poses a higher risk to the livelihood of vulnerable rural mountainous community due to prevailing poverty and more dependence on the natural resources of the surrounding areas. Aim of the study was to assess the local people’s perception of changing climate and to link it with meteorological data in the mid hills of Tehsil Balakot, KPK Pakistan. Using mix method approach of interviews and questionnaire, data was collected from 200 randomly selected households. Temperature data of 30 years 1985 to 2014 showed that there is an overall decrease in mean minimum annual temperature by a factor of 0.0024 for each year whereas there is an overall increase in mean maximum annual temperature by a factor of 0.0412 for each year. The mean annual rainfall of thirty years was recorded as 1471.27 mm with a decreasing trend of 0.9484 annually. Descriptive analysis showed that 83.5% and 40.5% of respondents observed change in temperature and increase in annual rainfall respectively. Local residents of the area were more vulnerable to climate change and natural hazards due to their poor socio-economic conditions and previous disasters history. In order to adapt to change in climatic conditions, mitigatory measures should be taken to improve their living conditions. Deforestation should also be avoided to overcome and reduce their vulnerabilities. Community resilience can help in mitigation and adaptation at local level.
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