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
Author    Correspondence author
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

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.

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)

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.

Adaptations; Climate Change; Impacts; Jumla; Perceptions