Population of the Concern: Accessing Vulnerability of the Nomadic Tribes to the Changing Climatic Conditions in the State of Jammu and Kashmir, India

Tufail Jarul, Centre for the Study of Regional Development, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Delhi 110067

Despite the effects of climate change being evident at a global scale, its negative impact are expected to affect severely those communities which are highly dependent on natural resources, geographical isolation, the degree of association with climate- sensitive environment and unique cultural, political and economic conditions. High Mountain areas in the arid environment are extremely sensitive indicators of sometimes only slight changes of precipitation and temperatures. This holds true especially for the under-researched mountain regions of Kashmir in Himalayas. The study examined perceived effects of climate change on the most vulnerable nomadic Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes on their grazing land, livestock performance and exploring the coping strategies of the nomads to climate change. Multistage sampling technique was used to select 140 respondents for the study. Data were analyzed using percentages, frequencies, tables and Chi square statistical tools. Climate change has severely affected the environment dependant nomads of the Kashmir Himalayas. It is therefore recommended that the pastoralists be trained in forage conservation techniques. They should also be encouraged to pool their resources to enjoy economics of scale by extension workers. Grazing reserves should be developed by government to fast track the disposition of the nomads from being a climate refugee.

Keywords: Population, Environment, and Climate Change, The Demography of Indigenous Populations

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