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Mallick, D.; Dilshad, T.; Naznin, Z.; Hassan, T. S. M.; Md. Syed, A.; Goodrich, C. G.; Udas, B. P.; Prakash, A.; Anwar, M. Z.; Habib, N.; Abbasi, S. S.; Khan, Q.; Ali, M.; Qureshi, A. H.; Batool, S.; Bhadwal, S.; Khandekar, N.; Gorti, G.; Mini, G.; Varma, N.; Sharma, G.; Luitel, M.; Nyima, K.; Tamang, D. D.
This synthesis report summarizes findings from a participatory assessment of socio-economic drivers, conditions, and climatic and environmental stresses leading to different levels of vulnerabilities in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region
. The study sites included high mountain, mid-hill, and downstream regions of the Indus, Upper Ganga, Gandaki, and Teesta– a tributary of the Brahmaputra River – basins. An integrated and multidimensional approach was adopted to understand social drivers, conditions, climate stresses, and multiple causes of vulnerability. Community perceptions about major socio-economic drivers and conditions were collected in geographical contexts. Upstream regions are characterized by an abrupt rise in topography, extremely rugged terrain, steep slopes, and deeply cut valleys. Midstream characteristics include hills with large areas of dense broad-leaved and mixed forest and extensive agriculture, often on terraced slopes. Downstream areas are mostly flat and characterized by vast floodplains that are prone to flood and river erosion
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Changes in temperature and hydro-meteorological patterns in Indus basin due to climate change are believed to be impacting farming communities in different ways
. From a gender perspective however, impacts of change vary from place to place, household to household and for individual members of the household due to a multiplicity of factors including expectation of individual members of a household to take additional responsibilities in difficult times. As an unavoidable coping strategy, the affected communities in upper Indus basin are compelled to send male members away from home in search of alternate sources of livelihoods. This compels women to take additional responsibilities at farm, household and community levels which ultimately increase the vulnerabilities of local women. However, scenario is different in mid-stream, where women have an additional workload to manage water requirements for household and livestock. While in downstream of the basin, women are culturally and socially dependent on men which increase their vulnerability many folds. Therefore, differentiated analysis of climate change impacts, based on gender roles and responsibilities, is crucial in climate change research. This paper presents gendered vulnerabilities at different scales in up, mid and downstream of the basin
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