Traditional Knowledge and Practices for Resilience to Climate Change in Nepal’s Mid-Hills: Perspectives from Darma and Madi Rural Municipalities

Sammanfattning: With climate change impacting countries around the world, rural communities in Nepal are among those most affected. As acknowledged by global climate discourses, traditional knowledge plays a vital role in understanding and adapting to climate change. Therefore, the purpose of this research is to explore how community members from Darma and Madi Rural Municipalities in western Nepal experience the impacts of climate change, how their traditional knowledge and practices contribute to resilience to these impacts, and how they may integrate non-traditional knowledge to further enhance resilience. This was achieved by conducting 34 interviews and four focus group discussions in the two municipalities, which were analysed through grounded research methods and linked to the resilience functions of anticipating, recognizing, adapting, and learning. The results reflect that participants have observed significant changes in their environment, which have affected local agriculture, livestock, health, and financial stability. The researchers found that community members employ a variety of traditional practices and knowledge contributing to environmental, economic, social, and infrastructural resilience. These practices relate to agriculture and livestock rearing, water, hazard and forest management, health, social organizing, and infrastructure. However, challenges in managing unprecedented environmental changes and unpredictable impacts have also led some community members to further enhance their resilience by adopting non-traditional practices. While such practices show initial benefits for local farmers’ resilience, long-term effects need to be further researched, as well as approaches for the holistic integration of traditional and non-traditional knowledge within the communities.