Abstract
The Himalayan ecosystem is endowed with rich natural resources, biodiversity, and scenic beauty; therefore, the region is able to provide a range of ecosystem services. The services have been utilized by the local inhabitants and people living in the periphery of this region. The growing demand of these services has put immense pressure on the ecosystem, and under such a scenario, climate change is an additional stressor. The objective of this paper is to assess the magnitude of climate change and its impact on ecosystem services in Kullu valley. The results of the study show certain changes in the climate parameters of the Kullu Valley. The average temperature has shown a rise of 0.38 °C in the winter months over the last four decades, and the precipitation in monsoon season has decreased by 55 mm. Drought has increased in the region. The overall impact of climate change has led to degradation of ecosystem services and has negative implications on human wellbeing.
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Singh, R.B., Kumar, A., Kumar, R. (2014). Ecosystem Services in Changing Environment. In: Singh, R., Hietala, R. (eds) Livelihood Security in Northwestern Himalaya. Advances in Geographical and Environmental Sciences. Springer, Tokyo. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-4-431-54868-3_11
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