Local responses to too much and too little water in the greater Himalayan region
Impacts of Water Stresses and
cultivation and crop yields. Many farmers have faced a
Hazards
serious problem of complete crop failure when the wheat
crop did not mature. The crop has to be prematurely
The main impacts of water stress and hazard involve
harvested and fed to animals, resulting in huge loss in
drought in the Mulkhow study site and flash floods
terms of time, labour, and money. Despite being in a
in Shishikoh. Recurrent droughts and flash floods in
double cropping zone, the farmers of Mulkhow now
the study areas have eroded the assets of the local
cultivate only a single crop – mostly wheat. Maize and
population, reducing their adaptive capacity and
vegetable production is negligable.
making them further vulnerable to the water induced
hazards. In these remote areas with limited development
Loss of trees – Similarly, loss of trees (fruit and non fruit)
interventions, the opportunities to diversify livelihoods are
due to water shortages has become a serious problem
almost negligible, which further increases vulnerability
in Mulkhow because household nutrition and fuelwood
to the impacts of water stress and hazard. Throughout
needs are supplemented by these resources. Walnut
Chitral, women are particularly vulnerable, regardless of
trees, which used to be a source of cash income have
the nature of the hazard.
already disappeared. A key informant said the drought
Mulkhow – the impact of drought
of 1998-2002 was so severe that his village lost almost
70% of the trees.
Depletion of water resources – Agriculture has been
severely affected by the drying up of water resources,
mainly springs. Between 1998 and 2008, 53 natural
Shishikoh – the compounded effects of flash floods
springs in Mulkhow (about half the total) were depleted.
Loss of land and infrastructure – The flash floods
in Shishikoh have damaged households, destroyed
Poor agricultural production and crop failure –
communication and physical infrastructure, and eroded
Shortage of water has reduced the area under
Typical landscape in Mulkhow, Chitral district, Pakistan, showing settlements and fields
17
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76