Local responses to too much and too little water in the greater Himalayan region
• How are people affected by water stress and
observation, historical timelines, resource mapping,
hazards?
and visuals (photos and videos). Other tools for data
• What are the local short- and long-term responses?
collection were used depending on the context and
needs.
• To what extent can these strategies reduce
vulnerability to water stress and hazards in the
• A common reporting format focusing on impacts,
context of climate change?
responses, and factors influencing adaptation
strategies served as a guideline for data collection.
The field-work teams used the same general, common
approach for data collection (Figure 1) which included
The nature of the assessment was mainly qualitative (i.e.,
the following key components:
people’s perceptions and narratives). The qualitative
information was complemented by quantitative data
• A literature review on the topic of community
whenever possible. People and key stakeholders
adaptation to environmental stress so that teams
provided information about the effectiveness and
could build on knowledge already gathered
success of the adaptation strategies through focus group
• Selection of study sites based on selected criteria
discussions.
and covering different types of water stresses and
hazards
The assessment also focused on identifying the political,
• Field data collection using participatory and rapid
cultural, and socioeconomic factors that hinder or
rural appraisal. All teams used semi-structured
promote the adoption of sustainable and equitable
interviews and focus groups, transect walks, direct
adaptation strategies at the selected sites. Thus, the field
teams also considered several salient issues in relation
Figure 1: Methodological framework
Methodological Framework
Field data collection
Research design Literature review
and validation
Data analysis
General approacch Background info Standard tool box Qualitative analysis
Case study approach Previous studies, • Focus groups • Comparison of
using PRA/RRA especially non-English • Semi-structured primary and
literature interviews secondary data
• Transect walks and (including literature)
Research questions direct observation • Gender and social
• Historical timeline analysis
Key concepts
• Resource mapping • Policy analysis
• Visuals • Etc
Criteria for study site General context of the
selection study sites
Optional tool box
Sampling size and
composition
• Shared learning
Common reporting
dialogues
Context-dependent
format
• Structured
interviews
• Questionnaire
Focus issues
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