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Started 2 weeks ago · Updated 1 week ago

Nepal Faces Worsening Climate Crisis: Extreme Heat, Unpredictable Weather, and Rising Disaster Risks

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Nepal is experiencing a severe climate crisis characterized by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns, extreme heat, and a rise in multi-hazard disaster risks, impacting daily life, livelihoods, and public health across the country. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region, including Nepal, faces heightened risks from events like floods, landslides, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) due to changing weather patterns, according to a study by ICIMOD.

• Extreme heat is no longer just a seasonal discomfort but a national concern affecting Terai, urban centers, and mid-hill regions, disrupting daily life, labor productivity, and public health.
• Farmers are struggling with prolonged dry spells followed by intense rainfall, disrupting planting cycles and damaging crops, as traditional seasonal understanding no longer matches on-ground realities.
• The Hindu Kush Himalayan region, comprising eight countries including Nepal, is facing increased multi-hazard risks where various events like floods, landslides, and droughts occur simultaneously or trigger one another.
• Nepal has signed an agreement with the LEAF Coalition to protect its forests through carbon credits, potentially earning up to $55 million, leveraging its significant reforestation efforts.
• The community forestry system in Nepal, managed by over 22,000 user groups, provides a strong foundation for conservation driven by local incentives.