Preprint
Article

Integrating Remote Sensing and Community Perceptions for Sustainable Climate Adaptation Strategies in Mountain Ecosystems

Altmetrics

Downloads

41

Views

26

Comments

0

This version is not peer-reviewed

Submitted:

20 December 2024

Posted:

20 December 2024

You are already at the latest version

Alerts
Abstract

Mountain ecosystems, such as Nepal’s Annapurna Conservation Area (ACA), are highly vul-nerable to climate change, which threatens biodiversity, water resources, and livelihoods. This study examines Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI), climate variability, and community per-ception and adaptations over a 35-year period (1988–2023) using remote sensing, meteorological data, and community surveys. Vegetation expanded by 19,800 hectares, while barren land de-clined, reflecting afforestation and land reclamation efforts. NDVI showed improved vegetation health, while NDSI revealed significant snow cover losses, particularly after 1996. Meteorological analysis highlighted intensifying monsoonal rainfall and rising extreme precipitation events at lower elevations. Communities reported increased flooding, unpredictable rainfall, and reduced snowfall, driving adaptive responses such as water conservation, crop diversification, and rain-water harvesting. These findings demonstrate the value of integrating scientific data with local knowledge to inform sustainable adaptation strategies. Contributing to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 and 13, the findings emphasize the importance of adaptive water management, resilient agriculture, and participatory conservation to enhance climate resilience in mountain ecosystems.

Keywords: 
Subject: Environmental and Earth Sciences  -   Environmental Science
Copyright: This open access article is published under a Creative Commons CC BY 4.0 license, which permit the free download, distribution, and reuse, provided that the author and preprint are cited in any reuse.
Prerpints.org logo

Preprints.org is a free preprint server supported by MDPI in Basel, Switzerland.

Subscribe

© 2024 MDPI (Basel, Switzerland) unless otherwise stated