Transformations in Kagbeni Village; The Influences of Climate Change, Roads & Tourism on the Adaptive Capacity of villagers in the Nepalese Himalaya

Abstract

Central in this thesis is the little village Kagbeni located in the ecological High Mountain region of Nepal, in the Mustang district. The aim is to uncover the many influences on adaptive capacity in the village with a special attention to Climate Change, Tourism, and a recently constructed Road. Climate change is predicted to be most severe for High Mountain communities; in 2008 the village became connected with the rest of Nepal by a new road, greatly reducing travelling time to the nearest large town; and the village is located on the popular trekking route around the Annapurna Mountain Range. The main conclusion is that all three main topic assist the modernisation of the village, the village is increasingly prosperous but at the price of increased social inequality. All three topic form both threats and opportunities, or benefits, to the villagers.