As a central reference point for policy makers, the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) recognises the value of place-based studies. Yet, tenets of generalisation and replicability dominate the organisation, and influence policy development globally. There is a growing concern that these are not conducive to building effective policy interventions that adequately accommodate local needs. This study uses a living with approach to explore how change and development was experienced by a small agricultural community in the Indian Himalayas. The findings reveal ‘double exposure’ to an increasingly deficient water supply, and aspects of globalisation. The community responded by changing its work practices along gender lines, and subsequently innovating farming output. Two underpinning mechanisms enabled the changes: The preservation of men’s higher status; and the social devaluation of farming as a local profession. The value of this place-based study lies in the scope of details that capture how climate change and globalisation were manifested in this specific environment, and the characteristics of the response itself. Yet, most importantly, the nuances of the field jar with ideals of generalisation and replicability. As such, the study motivates a greater need for climate change organisations to reflect on how they might better achieve policy objectives.