Understanding Livelihood Diversification as a Sustainable Adaptive Strategy to Existing Challenges in the Higher Himalayan Villages

The Himalayan region, also known as the third pole region, has been considered particularly fragile, marginal, and inaccessible besides being exceptionally diverse. International Panel on Climate Change reports confirm that because of global warming the Himalayas have lost a quarter of their ice cover. The impacts of climate change augment the existing problems specific to the mountain region. The rural Himalayan communities are vulnerable to various socioeconomic, environmental, geographic, and climatic factors. These communities have a direct and high dependence on natural resources for subsistence and livelihood. Agriculture is the main source of livelihood for majority of rural mountain communities. However, due to climatic and non-climatic factors, there is high risk of crop failure and crop production is low. Manifold challenges make agriculture economically unviable, and this has led to livelihood diversification as an adaptive strategy. Livelihood diversification forms an integral part of rural Himalayas. However, it has led to shift from farm activities to non-farm activities. The dearth of alternative livelihood opportunities in the hills either leads to migration of male folks out of villages or they choose to earn by risking their life. This study is an in-depth qualitative analysis which was carried out in two high-altitude villages of Saryu Valley in Bageshwar district, Uttarakhand. The study attempts to identify existing challenges and the local adaptation strategies. It attempts to understand whether the diversified livelihoods are sustainable in the long term.