Local Perceptions of Climate Change and Governance Gaps in the Rapti River Basin, Central Himalaya, Nepal

Abstract

Climate change in Nepal has been affecting water resources, agriculture, and rural livelihoods, yet governance efforts lack coordination. The present study adopted a mixed methods approach in the assessment of climate change adaptation gaps in the Rapti River Basin (RRB), Nepal. Household surveys (n=75), focus group discussion (FGDs), key informant interview (KIIs), and policy analysis were conducted in the two major regions of the basin (Hilly region and Terai). The findings reveal that the respondents had experienced an increase in temperature, erratic rainfall, reduced snowfall, and increased frequency of drought; 70.67% of the respondents faced climate-induced disasters, which had adversely affected agriculture. Rain-fed agriculture prevailed in both regions; the proportion of farmland under rain-fed agriculture in the Hill region was 47.1%, while in the Terai, it was 52%. Farmland abandonment was higher in the Hill region (22.8%) compared to the Terai (7.2%). In the Terai region, floods occurred more frequently, whereas in the Hill region, landslides and soil erosion were prevalent. Governance analysis revealed poor coordination among institutions, inequitable sharing of benefits, marginalization of marginalized groups, and lack of integration of climate change adaptation into water, agriculture, and disaster management policies.