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Socio-Environmental Vulnerability of Agriculture Communities to Climate Change in Western Himalaya: A Household-Level Review

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Challenges of Disasters in Asia

Part of the book series: Springer Natural Hazards ((SPRINGERNAT))

Abstract

Himalayan agriculture households face an increased risk of vulnerability due to its harsh intrinsic social and environmental factors. And the changing climatic conditions are further enhancing the vulnerability of these systems. To improve adaptation strategies and policy formulation, the impact of climate change on a household level needs to be accessed. However, comprehending the role of social and environmental factors in vulnerability assessments to climate change has received little attention on a household level. To integrate the knowledge available in the scientific literature, we performed a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature available on household vulnerability assessment (n = 21, focusing on research conducted in the Himalayas region). We evaluated the available literature according to (1) bibliometric features of selected studies and (2) the dynamic of vulnerability assessment. Most of the articles reviewed by us assessed vulnerability utilizing statistical assessment methods. The number of studies incorporating both social and environmental aspects has increased in recent years. Almost 50% of the studies focused on a single stressor, i.e., climate change for vulnerability. Holistic approaches and multi-level assessment are mostly lacking, as studied to combinedly assess both social and environmental factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    Neha Chauhan & P. K. Joshi

  2. Faculty of Sustainability, Leuphana University, 21335, Lüneburg, Germany

    Neha Chauhan & Henrik von Wehrden

  3. Special Centre for Disaster Research, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India

    P. K. Joshi

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  1. Neha Chauhan
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  2. Henrik von Wehrden
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Correspondence to Neha Chauhan .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Haroon Sajjad

  2. Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Lubna Siddiqui

  3. Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Atiqur Rahman

  4. Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Mary Tahir

  5. Department of Geography, Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi, Delhi, India

    Masood Ahsan Siddiqui

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Chauhan, N., von Wehrden, H., Joshi, P.K. (2022). Socio-Environmental Vulnerability of Agriculture Communities to Climate Change in Western Himalaya: A Household-Level Review. In: Sajjad, H., Siddiqui, L., Rahman, A., Tahir, M., Siddiqui, M.A. (eds) Challenges of Disasters in Asia. Springer Natural Hazards. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-3567-1_9

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