Integration of Climate Change Adaptation with Youth Empowerment: Identifying Opportunities and Challenges by Analyzing the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability to Climate Change in Rangtse, Haa Dzongkhag, Bhutan
(2024) VBRM15 20241Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety
- Abstract
- This thesis project aims to research the opportunities and challenges of development projects that integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) with youth empowerment in the rural community of Rangtse, Haa Dzongkhag in Bhutan. A vulnerability assessment was conducted by analyzing the exposure, sensitivity, and resilience of the Rangtse area to climate change through the dimensions of Gross National Happiness covering socio-economics, governance, culture, and the environment. The data to build this case study has been collected through observations and key informant interviews in the field. Opportunities for integrating youth empowerment with CCA to build more resilient livelihoods include developing sustainable tourism practices by... (More)
- This thesis project aims to research the opportunities and challenges of development projects that integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) with youth empowerment in the rural community of Rangtse, Haa Dzongkhag in Bhutan. A vulnerability assessment was conducted by analyzing the exposure, sensitivity, and resilience of the Rangtse area to climate change through the dimensions of Gross National Happiness covering socio-economics, governance, culture, and the environment. The data to build this case study has been collected through observations and key informant interviews in the field. Opportunities for integrating youth empowerment with CCA to build more resilient livelihoods include developing sustainable tourism practices by diversifying economic activity beyond the prevalent agricultural sector. Moreover, youth can be incentivized to adapt agricultural practices to climate change by modernizing farming approaches. Youth additionally shows interest in accessing education about CCA and vocational training. However, challenges are posed by limited access to financing for development projects, as well as information gaps and hindered flow of information within remote communities and between urban and rural areas. Additionally, the local context calls for a balance of traditional values and modernization through development efforts. It is thus recommended that international donors take an actively decolonized stance towards development work. On the national level within Bhutan and within local administrations, it is moreover suggested to engage youth in decision-making processes concerning CCA measures. Moreover, facilitated access to education for rural youth is an essential step towards leveraging the opportunities of integrating CCA with youth empowerment. (Less)
- Popular Abstract
- Climate change is an issue that is driven on a global scale, but certain countries and groups of people are affected by it more than others. One of these groups is youth living in remote, rural communities in Bhutan such as Rangtse under Haa District. Even though Bhutan as a country is carbon negative, meaning that it absorbs more CO2 than it produces, climate change affects the country, especially its remote areas, more severely than other areas of the world. At the same time, exactly these areas are usually overlooked when it comes to developing strategies to adapt to climate change. The area is one of the most remote in the country, as the road infrastructure connecting the villages of this area has only been developed recently within... (More)
- Climate change is an issue that is driven on a global scale, but certain countries and groups of people are affected by it more than others. One of these groups is youth living in remote, rural communities in Bhutan such as Rangtse under Haa District. Even though Bhutan as a country is carbon negative, meaning that it absorbs more CO2 than it produces, climate change affects the country, especially its remote areas, more severely than other areas of the world. At the same time, exactly these areas are usually overlooked when it comes to developing strategies to adapt to climate change. The area is one of the most remote in the country, as the road infrastructure connecting the villages of this area has only been developed recently within the last two decades. Before that, it took around three days by foot to reach the next town, and even now the last 20km leading up to Rangtse takes around an hour to drive because the road is not covered in asphalt and is blocked by water streams and landslides. Youth in this area often have to drop out of school, usually because most families are involved in small farming businesses and rely on their youth to help out in the fields or financially support the family by earning an additional income through employment.
This research highlights the opportunities and challenges of integrating youth empowerment with climate change adaptation in Rangtse, to give recommendations to international, national, and local stakeholders on how to leverage the synergies of empowering youth in the rural areas of Bhutan to tackle climate change.
The project which is connected to this research developed a sustainable tourism infrastructure at the local Buddhist pilgrimage site in Haa District, Rangtse Nye, including a visitor center with a café, hot stone bath, and improved hiking trails to the cave. The business structures were constructed and are now run by local youth to generate income for their families and community. To conduct this research, the researcher lived and worked on-site in Rangtse for a month to get to know the local community and environment. By integrating into and observing the everyday processes, as well as by conducting interviews with locals, it was analyzed how people perceive climate change and how it affects their livelihoods.
This showed that there are various opportunities when integrating youth empowerment with climate change adaptation, as the tourism businesses at Rangtse Nye run by youth give them an alternative source of income besides the agricultural sector which is currently negatively affected by climate change. Moreover, the agricultural sector itself can be made a more attractive economic opportunity for youth by introducing more modern farming techniques that protect against the fluctuations caused by climate change. These measures go hand in hand with supporting youth to finish school and access vocational training in fields such as carpentry and construction. However, it is usually very difficult for the local community to access enough financial resources from international donors to realize these measures. At the moment, there is also no formal measurement of factors showing how climate change actually affects the area and due to the remoteness of the area, information does not flow in an accessible way. Additionally, the local context calls for a balance of traditional values and modernization through development measures.
From this analysis, a set of recommendations can be derived. On an international level, it is recommended that international donors make financing more accessible based on the local needs of the rural communities, instead of the international agendas set by the donors. Within Bhutan on a national level and within local administrations, it is also suggested to actively include youth in decision-making processes when developing strategies and measures to tackle climate change. Moreover, facilitated access to education for rural youth is an essential step towards leveraging the opportunities of integrating climate change adaptation with youth empowerment. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9170412
- author
- Höfle, Hannah-Rebecca LU
- supervisor
-
- Misse Wester LU
- organization
- course
- VBRM15 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- climate change adaptation, youth empowerment, vulnerability assessment, exposure, sensitivity, resilience, sustainable tourism, agriculture, financing, Gross National Happiness, Rangtse, Bhutan
- language
- English
- id
- 9170412
- date added to LUP
- 2024-07-30 11:39:58
- date last changed
- 2024-07-30 11:39:58
@misc{9170412,
abstract = {{This thesis project aims to research the opportunities and challenges of development projects that integrate climate change adaptation (CCA) with youth empowerment in the rural community of Rangtse, Haa Dzongkhag in Bhutan. A vulnerability assessment was conducted by analyzing the exposure, sensitivity, and resilience of the Rangtse area to climate change through the dimensions of Gross National Happiness covering socio-economics, governance, culture, and the environment. The data to build this case study has been collected through observations and key informant interviews in the field. Opportunities for integrating youth empowerment with CCA to build more resilient livelihoods include developing sustainable tourism practices by diversifying economic activity beyond the prevalent agricultural sector. Moreover, youth can be incentivized to adapt agricultural practices to climate change by modernizing farming approaches. Youth additionally shows interest in accessing education about CCA and vocational training. However, challenges are posed by limited access to financing for development projects, as well as information gaps and hindered flow of information within remote communities and between urban and rural areas. Additionally, the local context calls for a balance of traditional values and modernization through development efforts. It is thus recommended that international donors take an actively decolonized stance towards development work. On the national level within Bhutan and within local administrations, it is moreover suggested to engage youth in decision-making processes concerning CCA measures. Moreover, facilitated access to education for rural youth is an essential step towards leveraging the opportunities of integrating CCA with youth empowerment.}},
author = {{Höfle, Hannah-Rebecca}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{Integration of Climate Change Adaptation with Youth Empowerment: Identifying Opportunities and Challenges by Analyzing the Multi-Dimensional Vulnerability to Climate Change in Rangtse, Haa Dzongkhag, Bhutan}},
year = {{2024}},
}