ALPINE VEGETATION RESPONSES

1500 km transect across eastern Himalaya

Increasing:

• Richness

• Biodiversity

• Endemism

Extinction Debt before the

Summit Trap? or not

PARTICIPATORY METHODOLOGIES TO

INVESTIGATE INDIGENOUS PERCEPTIONS &

ADAPTATIONS

• Mapping

• Calendars

• Plant cards

• Photo voice

• Repeat photos

• Interviews

Maurice Herzog 1950 Manangi 2011

HIMALAYAN CLIMATE CHANGE: PERCEPTION & DATA

• Temperature increase

• Precipitation increase and variability

• Glacial retreat, glacial lake formation &

outburst

. . . and much more

AGRICULTURAL TIPPING POINT

ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE

At ~3500 masl,

traditional agropastoralism

gives way to

cash crops, fruits & vegetables

CULTURAL ADAPTATION

• Food

• Clothing

• Agriculture

• Livelihoods

• Religion

• Cash economies

• Carbon footprint

1979 Zdenek

Thoma

SPIRITUAL ADAPTATION

TO CLIMATE CHANGE

Prayers

• Living Buddha

• Lhu

Bans

• Cutting trees

• Pollution

(both spiritual

& physical)

Omens

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION

• Soil amendments

• Afforestation

• Agroforestry

• Traditional conservation

• Low carbon footprint

BIOCULTURAL INTERACTIONS

WITH CLIMATE CHANGE:

SYSTEMS DYNAMICS MODEL

TEK maintains biodiversity

through NRM & conservation

Language maintains TEK TEK encoded in Language

Biodiversity is basis of TEK

Equations change

with climate

change & language

biodiversity

TEK

language

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES &

CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY

Forefront of Climate Change

Perceive

Adapt

Mitigate

Justice and equality:

a place at the table

Global Strategy for Plant Conservation, Target 13:

Indigenous and local knowledge, innovations and practices

associated with plant resources will be maintained to support

customary use, sustainable livelihoods, local food security and

health care.