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.

International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015

The slogan for International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction is announced " Knowledge for life".

 The UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) launched a search for communities that demonstrate excellence in managing disaster risk in order to draw attention to the importance of local knowledge, traditions and customs in the struggle against extreme weather events, climate change and earthquakes. 

Margareta Wahlström, the head of UNISDR, said: “We want to identify and honour communities which exemplify the use of traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, to complement scientific knowledge in disaster risk management. Over 19 million people from communities across the globe were newly displaced by disasters last year and we need to improve our understanding of how local practices can contribute to better management of disaster risk. 

“Under the campaign slogan, KNOWLEDGE FOR LIFE, we are seeking nominations from governments, local governments and civil society organizations for communities which should be declared Champions of Disaster Risk Reduction for their efforts. The first communities to be designated Champions will be announced on International Day for Disaster Reduction, Tuesday, October 13, this year.” 

The newly adopted global agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, contains several references to the need for a strong focus on communities and indigenous peoples, their traditional, indigenous and local knowledge and practices, in the design and implementation of policies, plans and standards for disaster risk management. Nominations and queries should be addressed to iddr2015@un.org by COB September 14, 2015.  Source:    http://www.unisdr.org/archive/45245

NEPAL and International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction

In this scenario, Nepal is also celebrating the International Day of Disaster Risk Reduction. Nepal should utilize the slogan to make government, CSOs, Community people understand gaps, challenges and learning during April Earthquake 2015 and able to prepare or design the plan for the resilient communities.

It is observed that the Duck, Cover, Hold is the best method in the world applied during the earthquake to make oneself protected but the use of such method was misunderstood or mis-transferred to Nepalese communities so that numbers of death cases are related due such knowledge. Some cases recorded from the Sindhuplachowk district of Nepal stated that many people standing outside the ground went inside the home for Duck, Cover and Hold  and none of them were alive after the collapse of the house. Most of the people stand under the pillar of the house to make them protected but the strength of Pillar was not studied and people died. Government, NGOs, INGOs including all stakeholders started to transfer the knowledge from the other country where the structure were safe  but the other factors like pillars, our topography and building structure were not considered while tranfering the knowledge.

Thus, I think Nepal government should focus Knowledge for life  slogan more effective to make realize on the proper  knowledge transfer and support for the resilience community.

 Rajan 

Karnali Update(3/3/2015, 2:00)

Kalikot

Due to heavy rainfall  on 1^st and 2^nd March 2015, three people ( two female, one male) died in Thirpu VDC in the collapse of the house yesterday.

      Humla 

           Police office of Muchu and Yanchu VDC provided the information that water level of Humla river deceased by 20% to 30% in the 7 am morning to CDO office of Humla.  The updated information states that the small river flowing from Limi that joins to Humla river was blocked and not the Humla Karnali river. As per the information provided by CDO, people of Halgi village have travelled to safe place themselves as people are in fear that the glacier lake above the Halgi village might have been blocked and may burst but till not confirmed. Till the time, the river flow from Limi side river has also been improved. 

   

      Information provided by KIRDARC Kalikot and KIRDARC Humla