International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 257-266 http://hortherbpublisher.com/index.php/ijh 257 Research Article Open Access Perceptions, Impacts, and Adaptation to Climate Change Among Farmers in Jumla District, Nepal: A Community Survey Prakash Dhungana , Nishchal Pokhrel, Kiran Puri, Bipin Kumar Neupane, Deependra Subedi, Nitesh Bhattarai, Palak Chhetri, Abhisek Shrestha Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Forestry University, Rampur, Chitwan 44209, Nepal Corresponding author: prakashdhungana2057@gmail.com International Journal of Horticulture, 2025, Vol.15, No.5 doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0026 Received: 04 Jul., 2025 Accepted: 28 Sep., 2025 Published: 29 Oct., 2025 Copyright © 2025 Dhungana et al., This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Preferred citation for this article: Dhungana P., Pokhrel N., Puri K., Neupane B.K., Subedi D., Bhattarai N., Chhetri P., and Shrestha A., 2025, Perceptions, impacts, and adaptation to climate change among farmers in Jumla district, Nepal: a community survey, International Journal of Horticulture, 15(5): 257-266 (doi: 10.5376/ijh.2025.15.0026) Abstract This study examines the perceptions, impacts, and adaptation strategies of rural households in Jumla District, Nepal, in the context of climate change. A structured survey of 56 households conducted in March to June 2025 revealed that most respondents were male-headed (69.6%), Chhetri ethnicity (62.5%), and primarily engaged in agriculture (69.6%), with low educational attainment (23.2% illiterate and 42.9% primary level). Apple was the dominant crop (69.6%), yet all households reported yield declines and altered crop calendars due to observed climatic changes, including rising temperatures (100%), erratic rainfall (100%), and reduced snowfall (92.8%). Agricultural productivity was further constrained by fungal diseases such as late blight in potato (80%), papery bark canker in apple (64.1%), and anthracnose in beans (61.5%). Beyond agriculture, 85.71% of households collected medicinal plants, mainly Yarshagumba (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) (58.33%), though 85.41% reported reduced availability. Correlation analysis indicated strong linkages between climate change awareness, declining medicinal plant availability, reduced household income, and increased migration, while education was associated with greater awareness and reduced reliance on migration. Migration was universal, with temporary movement dominating to Kathmandu, Surkhet, and Nepalgunj, largely for education and market opportunities. These findings highlight a feedback loop where climate change reduces resources, undermines income, and compels migration, underscoring the need for integrated adaptation strategies to strengthen resilience in high-altitude farming systems. Keywords Adaptations; Climate Change; Impacts; Jumla; Perceptions 1 Introduction Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges we face today, significantly affecting ecosystems, agriculture, water resources, biodiversity, and people's livelihoods (IPCC, 2022). The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlights that mountain regions are particularly at risk, experiencing higher levels of warming, rapid glacier retreat, decreasing snow cover, and an increase in extreme weather events like floods, droughts, and landslides (IPCC, 2022). South Asia is recognised as one of the most vulnerable regions globally, with predictions showing mean temperature increases between 3 °C - 5 °C and changes in rainfall patterns by the end of the century, especially under high-emission scenarios (World Bank, 2023). Since over 80% of agricultural land in this area relies on rainfall, the livelihoods of rural communities are heavily impacted by fluctuations in climate (FAO, 2021). These trends illustrate that the effects of climate change reach far beyond environmental concerns, threatening food security, income stability, and the social structures of vulnerable communities. Nepal, located in the heart of the Himalayas, is often cited as one of the countries most affected by climate change. Its diverse yet fragile mountain ecosystems, combined with socio-economic challenges and a heavy reliance on climate-sensitive sectors like agriculture and livestock, increase its exposure to climate risks (MoFE, 2019). Agriculture plays a vital role in Nepal, engaging more than 60% of the population and contributing approximately a quarter of the country’s GDP (CBS, 2021). Unfortunately, agricultural productivity is highly sensitive to weather changes, particularly in mountainous areas with short growing seasons and limited irrigation options, which leave farmers with few safety nets. Recent findings are alarming: between 2000 and 2019, over 17% of municipalities in Nepal lost more than 20% of their cropland due to floods, landslides, and other climatic stressors
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