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
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