Climate Change Impacts

Irrigation-led farming system intensification and efficient use of ground and surface water resources are currently being championed as a crucial ingredient for achieving food security and reducing poverty in Nepal. The potential scope and sustainability of irrigation interventions under current and future climates however remains poorly understood. Potential adaptation options in Western Nepal were analyzed using bias-corrected Regional Climate Model (RCM) data and the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model.

Mountain ecosystems are increasingly being affected by global environmental change, challenging the ubiquitous agroecosystem-based livelihoods of the people. This article uses participatory research methods to document and analyse (1) local and regional impacts of climate change on ecosystem services (ES) and livelihoods, and (2) the main current adaptation strategies of local peoples in the mountains of central Nepal. Major observed impacts include reduced precipitation and an irregular rainfall pattern, affecting paddy cultivation and winter crop production.

The Himalaya Plateau including Nepal is ‘greening up’ that has important implications to ecosystem services such as water supply, carbon sequestration, and local livelihoods. Understanding the combined causes behind greening is critical for effective policy makings in forest management and climate change adaptation towards achieving sustainable development goals. This national scale study comprehensively examined the natural and anthropogenic drivers of the long-term trend of vegetation dynamics across Nepal by correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis.

Medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) contribute to human well-being via health and economic benefits. Nepal has recorded 2331 species of MAPs, of which around 300 species are currently under trade. Wild harvested MAPs in Nepal are under increasing pressure from overexploitation for trade and the effects of climate change and development. Despite some localized studies to examine the impact of climate change on MAPs, a consolidated understanding is lacking on how the distribution of major traded species of MAPs will change with future climate change.

Limited understandings of the impacts of climate change and lack of local research have proven to be major challenges for the Nepalese agricultural sector. A study was carried out in Latikoili VDC of Surkhet district aiming to identify impacts of climate change, examine people’s perception, and assess existing adaptation measures practiced on agriculture. Qualitative and quantitative analysis was done to the data collected from primary and secondary sources. The climatic data revealed; the trend of temperature has increased and rainfall has substantially decreased over past 29 years.

Nepal, a Himalayan country, is often chosen by global scientists to study climate change and its impact on the Himalayan environment. The changes in temperature, precipitation, glaciers, and glacial lakes over Nepal are comprehensively reviewed based on published literature and compared with regional studies. Furthermore, the published glacier datasets were used to calculate and analyze the changes in area, equilibrium line of altitude (ELA) and ice reserves to show the response of glaciers to climate change.

Climate change and variability exert a global influence, affecting individuals and regions across the world. However, its impact is particularly pronounced in specific geographical areas and their inhabitants. Nepal, a globally recognized mountainous country, encompasses 18 percent of the world's mountainous terrain and spans 4.3 million km2 across eight Asian countries: Nepal, Bhutan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Myanmar, and Pakistan.