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Paper short abstract:

This paper aims to assess the interconnected dimensions of climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the North-Western Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh at a regional scale, emphasizing the need for an integrated framework to build resilience and mitigate risks.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change poses significant threats to the health and well-being of the people living in vulnerable mountainous regions. The Himalayas, the world’s most populated mountain system, are ecologically fragile and highly vulnerable to climate change and face increasing risks of rising temperature, uncertainty in precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events. In recent years, these events have significantly affected the social, economic, environmental, and physical infrastructure as well as the well-being of people and also necessitate proactive approaches to vulnerability assessment and adaptation planning in the region. This study aims to assess the interconnected dimensions of climate change vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the North-Western Himalayan State of Himachal Pradesh at a regional scale, emphasizing the need for an integrated framework to build resilience and mitigate risks. The study will utilize both primary and secondary sources of data collected from field visits as well as various governmental and non-governmental organizations. Multidimensional approaches and statistical methods such as Principal component analysis (PCA) will be employed to estimate the weight of indicators and calculation of risk, exposure, sensitivity and vulnerability of the region. The findings will show regional-level (district and subdistrict) vulnerability by dividing the region into low, moderate and highly vulnerable zones and also identify priority areas for adaptation strategies. The findings of this study will be vital for informing policy, fostering resilience, and safeguarding the environmental and socio-economic well-being of the people living in the region.

Keywords: Climate change, Himalaya, Climate change vulnerability index, adaptation, exposure.