Impacts of Climate Change in Nepal

Nepal, a landlocked mountainous country, has less contribution to the total emission of Green House Gaseous (GHGs) however; the country is experiencing significant impacts of climate change.

National Adaptation Plan of Action prepared by Government of Nepal is a notable document that provides the deep insights of climate change scenarios in Nepal.

Nepal has experienced the change in the mean temperature and rainfall. The country except some pocket areas has become warmer. The data trends from 1975 to 2005 indicate 0.06 degree Celsius rise in the mean temperature and 3.75 mm per month per decade decrease in the rainfall. Under various climatic scenarios, the mean annual temperature is projected to increase between 1.3-3.8 by1960 where as rainfall is predicted to decrease by 10 to 20%.

Nepal’s water resources, agriculture, biodiversity are highly impacted by the increasing temperature and decreasing rainfall. Communities of Nepal are facing the shortage of water resources due to less recharge of aquifers, overexploitation of ground water. The ground water level has decreased 50 feet to 70 feet in some places of Narayani River basin of Nepal. The impact of such degradation leads to the higher impacts to substance type of agriculture system affecting the livelihood of vulnerable people. Such climatic trends combined with deforestation, erosion of soil are leading to landslides and flood hazards and therefore vulnerable communities will have to increase their adaptive capacity to cope with climatic hazards.

More than 80% of Nepal population is dependent on agriculture for their livelihood where the significant change in the agricultural yield production was observed making more people vulnerable (Malla 2008). The increase in temperature has also increased risk of water-borne diseases due to poor sanitation and higher rainfall including increase in the risk of contamination (Source: Kelkar and Bhadwal 2007/2008).

The country has low emission by itself however, it lies between two giant industrial countries but facing greater challenge. Thus, the global effort is necessary to tackle the climate change so that global community works towards agreeing and implementing measures to keep the temperature below 1.5 Degree Celsius.