Sustainable Mountain Development No. 56, ICIMOD, Winter 2009
The Mishing community, in Assam, India, live in stilt houses (chang-ghar) made mainly of bamboo.
weave products, and produce local alcohol. Elders and climate and socioeconomic changes and identifi cation
rich households (who have other options) oppose these of pro-poor adaptation mechanisms; and studies on the
new practices, but for many it is the only way to spread linkages between climate change and gender issues.
risk, decrease vulnerability, and survive in a changing All of these activities will contribute to developing a
environment. better understanding of people’s adaptation strategies
to change in socio-ecological systems. People are
The above examples indicate the need to understand
vulnerable to a range of factors, and it is important
local traditions, practices, and beliefs before introducing
to improve our understanding of mountain people’s
interventions targeting climate change adaptation.
adaptation to climate change in the context of other
Equally they show that cultural factors are not always
drivers.
rigid and there is room for fl exibility. By working with
communities and taking such factors into account, new
Acknowledgements
practices can become sustainable.
The research on which this article is based is supported
fi nancially by the Swedish International Development
Emerging activities
Cooperation Agency (Sida), and the Norwegian Ministry
ICIMOD is also working in the fi elds of ecosystem
of Foreign Affairs. The support of these organisations and
of our partners AARANYAK; the Aga Khan Rural Support
services, livelihoods, and poverty reduction, as well
Programme (AKRSP) in Chitral; and the Institute for Social
as focusing on management of water resources and
and Environmental Transition-Nepal (ISET-N) is gratefully
hazards, with the aim of supporting mountain people acknowledged.
to adapt to change. Activities include documentation of
adaptation strategies to climate change in rangelands
and arid watersheds; assessment of the impacts of
37