Climate Emergency and Nepal

Climate change has been one of the most important topics that the whole world is concerned about. Leaders from the world have been discussing this topic for few decades. The majority of scientists from all around the world agree that human activities are the leading causes of climate change. The reports are stating that the globe is warming at an uncontrollable rate. The glaciers melting at unexpected rates have been discussed so many times in different places in the world. 

Mount Everest 

The Aims of the Paris Agreement of 2016

·         To keep global temperatures below 2.0C (3.6F) above pre-industrial times and to limit them to 1.5C

·         To limit greenhouse emissions from human activity to the point it can be absorbed naturally by soil, forests, and oceans  between 2050 and 2100

·         Every country has its own emission-reduction targets, known as nationally determined contributions (NDCs), which will be reviewed every five years.

·         Rich countries to assist poorer countries via climate finance  aids in order to switch to renewable energy sources

Vulnerability of Nepal due to Climate Change

As a mountainous country, Nepal has had many adverse complications due to climate change. There has been changing in temperatures and mean precipitation excluding some isolated pockets. The average annual temperature rise is increasing and is projected to be somewhere around 1.3 to 3.8 Celsius until the 2060’s The experts are stating that the rate of temperature rising in the Himalayas is more than the global average. 

The black carbon particles are accelerating the ice caps melting in the mountains. This could lead to a shortage of water for millions of people, as the Himalayan glaciers and mountains are the main source of water in the Indian subcontinent. If the current emission trend continues, it is projected that the Himalayas could lose two-thirds of its Ice by 2100. The irregular rainfall pattern has led the country to suffer from flash floods and landslides.  

Nepal relies heavily on agriculture and Hydroelectricity for its major economic activities, the natural disasters induced by climate change are a huge risk for this Himalayan country. Among them, Glacial Lake Outburst is a major risk in the region as suggested by scientific studies. A recent incident of glacial burst in Uttarakhand in 2021 had caused a massive flood which led to multiple casualties. 

This incident can be taken as a warning, as the Himalayan region is home to hundreds of glacial lakes and glaciers. Even though the next glacial outburst cannot be predicted, but Nepal is always at high risk for a potential outburst.

Glacial Lake In KingMaLa Mountain Pass

Another major sector that is affected by this scenario is the Travel and Tourism industry. Hundreds of thousands of travelers visit Nepal in order to spend their vacation exploring the beautiful nature and culture. The towering snowcapped peaks play a major part in attracting tourists to Nepal for various adventure purposes like mountaineering, peak climbing, trekking, and hiking. However, the Himalayas are losing their beauty, as the ice cover is depleting. 

The unusual weather pattern is becoming a major issue as the risks of natural disasters like landslides, flooding and avalanches rise accordingly. The chances of obstruction of in means of transportation will get higher limiting the movement in the country. The habitat and ecosystem of different flora and fauna are also at great risk. Various species of wildlife are deemed to be critically endangered and some other species are being added to that list. 

Some of the critically endangered species in Nepal are Snow leopard, Red panda, Musk Deer, Bengal Tiger, Fresh Water Dolphin, Swamp Deer, and One Horned Rhinoceros.  These risks directly affect the rate of tourists coming to Nepal, as the mountains and their biodiversity are the main attraction for travelers.  Even if Nepal’s contribution to climate change is minimal, the effects of this particular phenomenon are huge for the life and economics of the country.

The scenario of Emissions in Nepal

Nepal has also signed the agreement and has shown solidarity towards a positive change. The latest from Climate Action Tracker shows that Nepal’s effort is “Almost sufficient” for it reaches its Net Zero target by 2050. As per the data, Nepal’s cumulative emission until 2019 is 142.97 million tons. This is comparatively a small share of what the world is emitting, in numbers as per the 2015 data sourced from Nepal Government Data   

Apart from that Nepal has been always been a “carbon sink” as it has managed to maintain its forest cover to about 45 percent of its total land area. For this, the government has made a community-based forestry and watershed management act at play.  The majority of people still practice the traditional methods of agriculture which doesn’t contribute much in emitting greenhouse gases to the atmosphere, however helps to absorb and contain these gases. 

There are several claims that Nepal might even be a carbon-negative country where the rate of sequestration is higher than emission.  However, in recent decades the rate of emissions from fossil fuels has risen exponentially as people are drawn towards the advanced modern lifestyle.

Transportation Vehicles

 However, on the bright side, There have been many agreements among the world leaders in order to minimize the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. The majority of scientific researches points towards the obvious causes of the disaster unfolding, there are plenty of numbers of people who are denying the human intervention being responsible for global warming. 

However, The Kyoto protocol of 1997 and the Paris agreement of 2016 are some examples that made it seem like the correct step from the world governments. More than 190 countries have signed up for this agreement including Nepal. With a combined effort from all the nations in the world, there is always hope for a better future for the coming generations.