Whist being a global issue, climate change is a major environmental and social challenge for Nepal. Throughout the country the effects are already being felt. Rural communities are seeing changes in rainfall patterns. The monsoon tends to begin later, the rainfall is more irregular and flash floods are more frequent. The winter rains are reduced and some years fail altogether. People are noticing that summers are hotter and winters generally less cold. Mountain communities are receiving less snowfall and seeing glaciers retreat. In the mid-hills water sources are drying up and in the plains people report greater flooding and unexpected cold waves. These changes all tend to contribute to reduced crop production resulting in either increased prices or shortages of food. Many families attempt to deal with this by migrating to cities or sending members abroad to seek long or shortterm employment. This often has a negative impact on family and social cohesion which in turn may make them less able to cope with effects of climate change. Other impacts of climate change include increased forest fires with the extended dry period, and an increase in pests and diseases of crops, livestock and human populations. Every sector, from forestry and agriculture to energy and health, is feeling the impacts. Climate change is caused by an increase of certain greenhouse gasses such as carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. It is mainly the wealthy, developed countries that are responsible for these changes, yet they affect every country in the world. The poorest countries, such as Nepal, are likely to suffer most due to limited resources to cope with and adapt to the effects of climate change. Likewise, within Nepal poor and marginalised groups are the most vulnerable. A key factor of climate change at the local level is the uncertainty. As the overall global mean temperature rises, climate scientists predict a range of changes in local and regional climatic patterns. The uncertainty of the local climate is what leaves communities vulnerable. Thus, the only effective way to prepare for effects of climate change is to increase capacity to cope with and adapt to change, i.e. to increase resilience. This tool kit is designed to help communities and planners understand the likely local hazards and risks of climate change and look at the vulnerability of their environment and livelihoods. It helps them to analyse exiting methods of coping and adapting and then develop plans to increase resilience. The kit consists of a range of tools that can be used in various situations. District or VDC (Village Development Committee) level planning teams can use them to make assessments and gain an overview. Community based organisations (such as forest user groups, water management groups or soil conservation groups) can use them to prepare themselves and develop community level adaptation plans. If local communities have systematically assessed their situation and know clearly what they need to best adapt to climate change impact, they can then effectively contribute to district level plans. These in turn can inform regional and national adaptation plans and programmes. The tools can be used in various combinations to suit the context. They can be developed and modified by facilitators as appropriate to the local situation. The main concern is to ensure participation is inclusive, that experience is widely shared and that control of the process is in the hands of the participants.
