Role of policy and institutions in local adaptation to climate change: case studies on responses to too much and too little water in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

This study focuses on how policies and institutions can strengthen community adaptation strategies, specifically to climate-related water stress and floods. Building on the findings of an earlier study, Local Responses to Too Much and Too Little Water in the Greater Himalayan Region, it examines four key themes: (i) small-scale water management and the role of local institutions; (ii) agro-forestry diversification and intensification; (iii) infrastructural mitigation measures, including embankments to adapt to floods; and (iv) livelihood diversification, including migration. The findings of this study are intended to provide key pointers for future policy development.