Forest Degradation Index: A Tool for Forest Vulnerability Assessment in Indian Western Himalaya

Shashidhar Kumar Jha (), Ajeet Kumar Negi, Juha Mikael Alatalo, Vignesh Prabhu, Mani Bhushan Jha and Hemant Kumar
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Shashidhar Kumar Jha: Climate Program, World Resources Institute, Delhi 110016, India
Ajeet Kumar Negi: Department of Forestry and Natural Resources, Hemvati Nandan Garhwal (A Central) University, Srinagar 246174, Uttarakhand, India
Juha Mikael Alatalo: Environmental Science Center, Qatar University, Doha 2713, Qatar
Vignesh Prabhu: Center for Study of Science, Technology, and Policy, Bengaluru 560094, Karnataka, India
Mani Bhushan Jha: Climate Program, World Resources Institute, Delhi 110016, India
Hemant Kumar: Center for Rural Development & Innovative Sustainable Technology, IIT-Kharagpur, Kharagpur 721302, West Bengal, India

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 23, 1-29

Abstract: The global climate is showing altered temperatures and precipitation levels. Forests can be a stabilizing force in climate change. They regulate the nutrient cycle, protect species and diversity, and support livelihoods that drive holistic growth. Presently, the forest ecosystem’s capacity to withstand change is being undermined by the rate of change, along with anthropogenic pressures and the specificities of mountainous regions. Here, we attempted to design a ‘forest vulnerability index’ using field measurements and household surveys. A total of 71 quadrants were laid out, and 545 respondents were interviewed in 91 villages along the altitudinal gradient (altitude < 1200 m asl (Zone A), 1200–1800 m asl (Zone B), and >1800 m asl (Zone C)) of the Pauri district of Uttarakhand, India. The village-level data were normalized and combined to represent climate change impacts and the dimension of vulnerability. The IPCC (2014) protocol was used to assess forest vulnerability. The highest vulnerability was recorded in Zone ‘B’, and higher sensitivity, higher climate change impacts, and lower adaptive capacities were recorded in Zone ‘B’ and ‘C’. The approach is comparable within the district and between the states. In enhancing our shared understanding of forest degradation, the results are of value to policy/decision-makers, implementers, and adaptation funding agencies, who can use them to assess the scale, cause, and actions for adaptation.

Keywords: climate change; forest vulnerability; indicators; Himalaya (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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