Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Cultivation for Climate Change Adaptation and Value Chain Management in Chamoli District of Uttarakhand

Apiculture was one of the most fl ourishing cottage industries in the Himalayan area until climate change, and ecological degradation started. The honeybee has proven to be a good biological indicator that is easy to use for environmental biomonitoring at any scale. When Udyogini fi rst started its work in Uttarakhand, they observed that even though the Himalayan region is rich in fl oral diversity, the region exhibits a bleak picture of alternative livelihoods based on apiculture. Agriculture too did not appear profi table due to rising cultivation costs, a decrease in land productivity, reduced per capita land due to land fragmentation high transport and logistics costs, the migration of farmers to cities in search of better livelihoods, as well as changing climate patterns that lead to 50% crop failure. The situation was further aggravated by damage to the food crops caused by wild animals, which is also becoming one of the prominent reasons that cause farmers to move away from the traditional farming system. This was also the time when Chamoli faced massive fl ash fl oods and landslides due to the melting of the Chorabari glacier, which caused a deluge in the Mandakini river and resulted in deaths of residents and tourists, as well as extensive damage to property.