Appraising Challenges of Climate Change Threats to Agriculture and Food Security of Pakistan: A Spatiotemporal Perspective
Climate change (CC) is one of the foremost global concerns of the modern world. Its associated alterations in the environmental and anthropogenic phenomena are triggering numerous multifaceted problems of serious nature threatening the world community. Developing countries like Pakistan, which are already facing the problems of rapid population growth, water and food shortage, droughts and floods are relatively more threatened by CC. Due to its sensitive nature, the agriculture sector is highly vulnerable to CC effects and affected by even minute fluctuations in the temperature and moisture supply conditions. This study intends to examine the CC effects on agricultural activity and food security (FS) focusing on Pakistan. Grounded mainly on the secondary data acquired from numerous sources such as publications, surveys, research, national and international reports, public and private media sources, and websites like ‘climate change knowledge portal’, it tries to bring out a factual picture of the issue that can assist to develop lessons for the future planning. The collected data were integrated and analyzed using quantitative and descriptive approaches. The results reveal that climate is changing primarily due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGE) as a result of the expanding activities of a rapidly growing population. Besides other multiple and wide-ranging global and local effects, CC is also distressing the agricultural sector of Pakistan giving birth to future FS concerns and threatening its economic development. The study concludes that, if timely and effective measures to deal with the challenge were not taken, problems facing agriculture of the country will intensify further and it may become intrinsically hard to ensure the future FS. To overcome the issue, the study advocates the reduction in population growth rate, a drop in the GHGE, proper management and wise use of agricultural resources, and practice of the climate-smart agriculture. These goals are not too difficult to achieve if all the stakeholders show commitment and earnestness.
Keywords: Agriculture, climate change, food security, greenhouse gases, global warming, Pakistan.
Asad Ali Khan, Ehtasham Ullah Khan & Kinza Khan (2025). Appraising Challenges of Climate Change Threats to Agriculture and Food Security of Pakistan: A Spatiotemporal Perspective. Journal of Contemporary South Asia, 1: 1, pp. 1-33.
Residential Care Homes for Older People in Nepal: Standards, Challenges, and Policy Implications
Background: Nepal is undergoing rapid demographic aging, with older persons (60+) now comprising over 10% of the population. Despite the existence of frameworks such as the Senior Citizens Act (2006), Senior Citizens Rules (2008, amended 2024), and Geriatric Care Guidelines (2020), the implementation of minimum standards for residential elder care remains weak. Objective: This study critically examines the standards, practices, and challenges of residential care homes in Nepal, with attention to legal frameworks, infrastructural adequacy, human resource capacity, and institutional monitoring.
Methods: A qualitative design was employed, including focus group discussions with managers of seven residential care homes in Kathmandu and a multi-stakeholder consultation, complemented by document review of relevant policies, census reports, and peer-reviewed literature. Thematic analysis was applied to identify key issues related to compliance, infrastructure, staffing, and oversight. Results: Findings reveal that most facilities operate with limited awareness of legal requirements, inadequate elder-friendly infrastructure, shortages of trained caregivers, weak monitoring mechanisms, and persistent financial and social pressures. Stigma surrounding old age homes and unclear lines of government accountability further exacerbate challenges. Conclusion: Nepal’s residential elder care sector operates in a regulatory vacuum, leaving older persons vulnerable to uneven quality of care. Strengthening licensing and accreditation mechanisms, investing in geriatric workforce development, ensuring infrastructure standards, and improving intergovernmental coordination are essential steps to safeguard dignity and well-being in later life.
Keywords: aging population, Nepal, old age homes, senior citizens, residential care, geriatric policy.
Hom Nath Chalise & Youraj Roka (2025). Residential Care Homes for Older People in Nepal: Standards, Challenges, and Policy Implications. Journal of Contemporary South Asia, 1: 1, pp. 35-42.
Conversion of Rice Fields to Small Tea Plantations in Bodoland Areas of Assam (India): A Sustainability Assessment
In the past few decades, the amount of land used for growing tea in Assam has grown a lot mainly because more small farmers have started growing tea. Small tea cultivation in Assam, which first started as a commercial garden in Golaghat in 1978, has recently revolutionized agriculture by providing sustainable income and driving social and economic change. Although small tea farms emerged relatively late in Assam’s Bodoland areas, Udalguri district has become a key region due to its legacy of large tea plantations and rising awareness among the farmers about its higher returns compared to rice. The first small tea plantation (STP) in the district emerged in Amjuli in 1991, followed by Naoherua in 1993 and Darogachuba in 1997. So far Naoherua village is concerned, its area under STP expanded from 4.31 ha in 2001 to 56.82 ha in 2022, while the rice fields reduced from 203.5 ha to 54 ha during the same period. On the other hand, in Darogachuba village the STPs grew from 14 ha in 2010 to 58 ha in 2022 with rice fields decreasing from 228.48 ha to 176.84 ha. The study looks at how much money can be earned from growing small tea cultivation and rice cultivation using both data collected by the researchers and information from other sources. Accordingly, the study of income-expenditure for the period 2021-2023 shows that the benefit-cost ratio (BCR) per hectare for STP is higher (2.68 in Naoherua and 2.32 in Darogachuba) as compared to rice cultivation (1.30 and 1.50, respectively).
Keywords: Benefit Cost Ratio, Small Tea Plantation, Profitability, Net Return.
Jeshmi Machahary & Bimal Kumar Kar (2025). Conversion of Rice Fields to Small Tea Plantations in Bodoland Areas of Assam (India): A Sustainability Assessment. Journal of Contemporary South Asia, 1: 1, pp. 43-69.
Ethno-Science and Physics: Unveiling Historical Ingenuity for Modern Andragogy at Undergraduate Level in Odisha
This article gives a theoretical scaffolding for changing history andragogy at the undergraduate level in Odisha by blending physics, history, and ethno-science. It investigates the possibilities of including emergent technologies in effective interdisciplinary teaching. The classroom should shift from passive memorization to active inquiry-based learning. The main argument is that Odisha’s cultural practices and tangible heritage are repositories of local wisdom which based on scientific principles which were aimed at the good of the community. Through in-depth case-studies of Konark sun temple, Puri Jagannath Temple, traditional weaving, ancient maritime heritage of Odisha, pottery, and traditional water conservation systems. This paper throws light on the implementation of principles of applied physics in the local wisdom of Odisha such as rotational mechanics, thermodynamics, fluid dynamics and acoustics. By using ethno-science to teach history students will easily form associations between their tangible cultural heritage and physics. The use of emergent technologies like virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), Mixed reality (MR) and Artificial intelligence (AI) is a catalyst for learning experiences that encourage critical thinking skills. This model is welcomed to do away with rote memorization as per the guidelines of NEP 2020. The paper concludes by mentioning suggestions for an interdisciplinary curriculum design.
Keywords: ethno-science, history pedagogy, Indigenous knowledge, interdisciplinary curriculum, multidisciplinary curriculum, physics education, tangible heritage, Tertiary education
Ishita Mishra, Swagatika Meher, Varun Ashokan & Dipanshu Sharma (2025). Ethno-Science and Physics: Unveiling Historical Ingenuity for Modern Andragogy at Undergraduate Level in Odisha. Journal of Contemporary South Asia, 1: 1, pp. 71-93.
Impact of Household Chores on Mental Health of Women
The paper has particularly focussed upon the role of married women in household chores and how it impacts their mental health. A number of factors has been taken into consideration; like verbal abuse, social isolation and victim blaming respectively. All these factors have placed a negative impact upon the mental health of women. The issue of women has been described with the help of ‘labelling theory’, where the person tries to withdraw from all the social events and activities for facing consistent devaluation and rejection from people. The withdrawal has thereby resulted in constricting social networks with having minimal attempts for seeking jobs.
Keywords: Mental Health, Married Women, Social Isolating, Verbal Abuse, Abandonment, Household Chores.
Mohini Sen Chowdhury and Nazia Parveen (2025). Impact of Household Chores on Mental Health of Women. Journal of Contemporary South Asia, 1: 1, pp. 95-113.