Among highest climate risk countries, Nepal is 10th

The fragile topography and geological characteristics of the country, Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change effects. The effect has led to increased snowmelt, the formation of new glacial lakes, the expansion of existing glaciers, and a higher risk of glacial lake outburst floods.

A study conducted by the international organization ‘German Watch’ describes that Nepal ranks 10th among countries at high risk from climate change point of view. The study was based on the Long-Term Climate Risk Index (2000–2019) conducted in 2011. Moreover, Nepal has been facing significant human and economic losses annually due to climate-related disasters, as noted in the Economic Survey for the fiscal year 2023/24 released recently by the Nepal Government.

According to the economic survey, climate change-related disasters are increasing due to human-made activities. Due to temperature rise, unseasonal rains and extreme rains and droughts, production and productivity declines have had a significant impact on employment, income and people’s livelihoods.

Rising temperatures pose a growing challenge to maintaining the balance between human communities and ecological systems.

To address the issue of climate change, various agencies and structures are active in implementing arrangements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement of COP15. Nepal is also a party to such treaties and is working in the field of climate change mitigation and adaptation.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Assessment Report indicates that the Earth’s average temperature has increased by 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to the period between 1850 and 1900.

Various bodies and structures are actively implementing arrangements such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement to address climate change issues.

Nepal, as a party to these treaties, is actively working on mitigating and adapting to the impacts of climate change.

According to a study conducted by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in 2023, the mass of the glaciers in the Hind Kush Himalaya region has decreased by 65 percent, and it is estimated that the amount of water and the flow in the river will increase by the year 2050 due to the melting of snow in the main river basin of the region. That means, due to climate change, the snow will melt rapidly and the amount of water in the river will increase immediately, but it is estimated that the amount of water will decrease by 9% in the long term.

The world’s greenhouse gas emissions were 32.66 billion metric tons in 1990 and reached 47.51 billion metric tons in 2020. During the period from 1990 to 2020, the world’s greenhouse gas emissions have increased by an average of 1.27 percent annually. Compared to 2019, the world’s greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by 4.7 percent in 2020.

Similarly, according to the statistics of “Climate Watch”, China, America, India, European Union countries, Indonesia, Russia, Brazil, Japan, Iran and Canada are among the countries that emit the most greenhouse gases in the world. The highest share of the world’s total greenhouse gas emissions is China’s 25.88 percent and the United States’ 11.13 percent. According to Climate Change Statistics ‘Explore’ 2024, Canada’s share of the top ten greenhouse gas emitting countries is the lowest at 1.14 percent.

The greenhouse gas emitted by Nepal has been increasing in recent years. Although the greenhouse gas emitted by Nepal decreased from 2000 to 2008, it increased in the following years. In the 1990s, an average of 2.8 million metric tons of greenhouse gas was emitted, but in the last decade (2011-2020), this gas emission has reached 40.7 million metric tons. Nepal’s own greenhouse gas emissions are decreasing.