Climate Change Impact On Nepal

Laxman Datt Pant

Climate change is a big challenge facing the world today. Its impacts are visible and consequences cruel. The snow in the Himalaya is disappearing faster than realised. Sea levels threaten to rise higher than previously anticipated. And water supplies are increasingly at risk from both melting glaciers and extreme climate events such as droughts and floods. These changes threaten not only the environment but also the security and stability of human beings. In a country like Nepal, climate change directly affects the mountainous areas. These areas have a micro environment and are more likely to be affected by climate change in many ways. The major inference is a rise in temperature. Rise in temperature results in increased demand for resources like water. The soil turns dry and the moisture retaining capacity goes down. Temperature rise predictions Climate change experts predict the temperature will rise by about 5 degrees centigrade by the end of 2050. In the last 1000 years, the temperature rose by 1 degree centigrade only. We are already witnessing initial effects like drought and variability in rainfall. South Asia is the most vulnerable region in the world. Experts have warned that the region will face vast problems with climate change. And this is related to poverty and the very varied climate and geography in the region. The impacts of higher temperatures - more extreme weather events such as floods, cyclones, severe drought and sea level rise - are already being felt in South Asia and will continue to intensify. The South Asia region is a low-intensity producer of greenhouse gasses. Its carbon intensity did not increase as economic growth accelerated in the last decade. However, because poverty is so endemic and widespread, the climate change impact on South Asia will be severe even if the region continues to be a low greenhouse gas producer. Nepal is a country of mountains and snow-fed rivers. In recent times, it has been facing increasing impact of climate change on its water resources, river ecology, weather changes and biological diversity. The annual temperature rise in Nepal is about 0.06 degree Celsius per year. In the Himalayan region, the temperature is rising twice as fast or about 0.12 degree Celsius per year. Nepal’s high biodiversity is a reflection of its unique geographical position, altitudinal (60 to 8848 m) and climatic variations (tropical to alpine). These widely varied physical conditions support more than 2 per cent of flowering plants, 3 per cent of pteridophytes and 5 per cent of bryophytes of the world’s flora. It also supports more than 852 species of birds (8.6 % of the world’s), 181 species of mammals (4 % of the world’s), 1,822 species of fungi and 182 species of fishes. Glacial melt affects fresh water flows. Additionally, it will have dramatic adverse effects on Nepalese biodiversity and livelihoods, with a possible long-term implication on regional food security. The Rika Samba Glacier in the Dhaulagiri region is retreating at a rate of 10 m per year. This is very unusual as glacial movement is usually measured in millimeters. Similarly the AX010 Glacier of Shorong Himal will be extinct by 2060 if the current trend continues. UNEP has already warned that more than 40 Himalayan glacial lakes in Nepal are dangerously close to bursting. Rapidly melting glaciers means more seasonal variation in the river flow, which will in turn result in water shortage, frequent floods and draughts in the country. The people’s livelihood will be highly impacted. On the other hand, climate change reduces agriculture production, resulting in food insecurity. The impact of climate change on Nepalese agriculture is very frightening. It is revolting to note that food stocks are reduced in communities dependent on agriculture, especially in the Far Western and Mid-western regions. Consequently, it is resulting in widespread malnutrition and potentially fueling social unrest in the country. The risk of food scarcity was raised some months ago when the United Nations World Food Programme (UNWFP) reported that 2.5 million people in Nepal needed urgent food assistance. Food shortages and the dangers of glacial lakes bursting are certainly grave challenges for a country in political transition. Nepal needs to develop national policies to minimise the damage done by climate change. However, the government lacks real understanding of what climate change is. The Ministry of Science and Technology is responsible for promulgating and implementing strategies that can fight the impacts of climate change. Agriculture and production sectors should also be involved in implementing the strategies into action. But there are no concrete programmes to deal with the impact of climate change. The things that need to be addressed in Nepal are cultivation of crops, irrigation management and crop switching. Countries should work hard to negotiate a new international agreement to combat climate change. It has become very urgent for countries to work together. To make it a livable planet, all major greenhouse gas emitting countries must work together to take strong action. Globally, some concrete efforts need to be initiated by countries like the US. It is because the US has a responsibility as the world’s largest historic emitter of greenhouse gases. Without US emissions reductions, no solution to climate change is possible. It is noticeable that US President Barack Obama recently called on Congress to develop a comprehensive clean energy legislation to cut emissions drastically. International agreement To attain a strong international agreement and meet the climate change challenge, the developed countries need to reduce their emissions on an absolute basis while the developing countries must take actions that will substantially reduce their emissions on a relative basis. Developing countries should also focus on preparing low-carbon growth plans to guide their longer-term development path. Eventually, a climate change agreement must be about not only limiting carbon emissions but also about providing a safe pathway for sustainable development. For this, clean energy development is the only way forward. http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/detail.php?article_id=24959&cat_id=7