Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CLIMATE VARIABILITY AND TRANSHUMANT ADAPTATION AMONG GUJJAR AND BAKARWAL COMMUNITIES, INDIA

Mohd Tufail, Pramod N. Kamble, Jackson Khumukcham, Krishan Kumar, Arvind Kumar, Dilip Singh Kachwaya, Francis Sangma and Anupreet Singh Tiwana

Abstract

Climate change is an undeniable phenomenon observed by the Gujjar and Bakarwal communities in the region of Jammu and Kashmir in India. The changing climate has significantly impacted these communities, particularly their seasonal movement patterns with livestock. The region’s economy is heavily reliant on livestock, which a series of climate-related challenges such as droughts and unseasonal snowfall have significantly impacted. Transhumance has historically functioned as a sustainable occupation worldwide due to herders’ ability to utilise regions unsuitable for other agricultural activities. Transhumant communities effectively utilise those areas, which are commonly referred to as marginal landscapes. Due to environmental regulations and social dynamics, the transhumant population encounters considerable societal obstacles. The challenges manifest themselves through fluctuating weather patterns and governmental policies that enforce limitations on mobility and customary practices. This study examines climate change’s effects on the economic and cultural practices of the Gujjar and Bakarwal tribes. Additionally, it identifies strategies for adapting to the changing climate to safeguard the longstanding transhumance economy of the Gujjars and Bakarwal, which is closely tied to animal husbandry.