A way forward to address Climate Change

Scientist has already started that, “Climate change is certain”. Therefore all of us need to be preparing to face the challenges that are likely to be caused due to climate change. Nepal being a least developed country with fragile geography and climatic variation, it has to be prepared from the beginning to address the effect the climate change. For the country like Nepal there is no option of mitigation and adaptation. Several measures of adaptation and mitigation has been practices in different parts of the country. Now, government has to play a vital role in capacity building of the people, all the people especially in the high prone area different educational projects have to be implemented. Nepal is in the face of economic development; therefore it has to adopt the green economy policy. Priority should give to conservation of forest resources. Government alone cannot do anything therefore, public partnership with local organization; international organization should make join hands to address the possible climate change. 

Adaptation Practices in Nepal

Due to its geographical setting, the impact of climate change in Nepal is estimated to have larger impact as compare to the rest of the world. Adaptation is the ways that were applied to mitigate/minimize the effects of climate change. Early warning system in the flood plain of Nepal has been established to inform the people about the rise of water level in the river and streams. River embanking are also been practiced to check the effects of flood. In the recent days plantation in the sloppy area are increasing. This had played a great role in reducing the landslides in the mountain region of Nepal. Rainwater harvesting is also increasing in the city area of Nepal. Shift in farming period and type, and introducing of drought resistance seeds are some of the adaptation measures applied in the agricultural sector. In the highway of Nepal, bio engineering practices could be seen to check the possible landslides in the area. 

Impacts of Climate Change on Health

All the human life has direct or indirect effect of climate change or all the phenomenon are used to linked with climate change. Health of the people is also found to be affected with climate change.  Different germs are spreading in the air due to increase in temperature. The outbreaks of cholera in Nepal are reported to be having direct link to the climate change. Different types of germs are being grown and unknown diseases are arising day by day. In the dry period, patient of cholera, typhoid, dandies etc. are found to be increased in the Hospitals of Nepal. Increase in temperature has causes significant change in the spread of insects like mosquito that are responsible for causing dengue and malaria. Likewise, house fly has also reported to shift its habitat that is responsible for carrying different diseases. In the year  2012 house fly were found in the base camp of Everest too. Besides the above face, increase in temperature are reported to be responsible for causing different allergy in people. 

Impact of Climate Change on Agriculture

Nepal import huge quantity of agricultural product most of the people (More than two third) are still taken farming as a main occupation. In such situation, small changes in production have large impact. In recent days, there is change in rainfall pattern, average mean temperature are increasing which has causes a huge impact in production from the agricultural farm. Nepal has experienced less no of rainy days than past but the quantity of rainfall in increasing. Long drought and flash rainfall are common phenomenon that is expressed as the effect of climate change. Most of the part in Nepal depends of rainfall for faring. The change in rainfall pattern and timing has greatly affected the crop calendar. The uncertainty of the rainfall has forced many farmers to change their occupation too. Sometimes, crops are unable to harvest due to long drought while in many cases crops land were swept away by flood that come after heavy rainfall. Landslides and embanking cutting has also greatly affect the agricultural production

Impact of Climate Change on Wildlife

Because of the variance in climate from tropical to artic wildlife diversity in notable feature of Nepal. Nepal is very rich in biodiversity. Around 181 species of mammals, different varieties of reptiles and 910 species of birds are found here. One horned rhino, Bengal tiger, red panda, snow leopard, Tibetan fox, Tibetan wolf, marble cat are some of the important wildlife of Nepal. They are few protected wildlife of Nepal. Among the 910 species of birds 30 species are globally threatened. Different studies shows that the no. of wildlife in Nepal are decreasing. The decrease in the wildlife also has found the relation with the climate change. Loss in habitat and natural spring in the wild has found to be played an important role to take wildlife in the face of extinction. Likewise, increase in temperature has forced to shift the wildlife habitat. For example; research made by WWF Nepal has showed that mica has found to shift up to 100M above from its natural habitat. 

Impact of Climate change on Forest Resource

Forest is one of the major natural resources of Nepal. In the recent days Nepal used to export forest product to India and Tibet. Many medicinal herbs are grown in the forests.  On the basis of ecological zone Nepal has five types of forest namely, tropical forest, sub -tropical forest, temperate forest, sub alpine forest and alpine forest. There is popular saying in Nepali, “Hariyo Ban Nepalko Dhan” meaning green forests are the wealth of Nepal. However, in the recent days, forest cover areas are decreasing in Nepal. Different local ethnic plants and herbs are disappearing and new species of plants are intruding in the jungle. Such changes in the forest species has been taken as effect of climate change. It is reported that due to climate change forest yield less products. Forest fire has also destroyed the forest products and many indigenous species of plants. The cause of forest fire are linked with the long dry period which is caused due to change in normal climate pattern. 

Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources

Nepal has observed dramatic change in water resources which are often linked with the climate change. Nepal has more than hundred rivers that were originated from the Himalayas. The flow in those rivers is reported to decrease in the recent days.  Likewise, rate of retreating glacier are increasing and formation of glacier lakes are increasing. All these facts are reported to have direct relation with the climate change. In Nepal more than 23 glacier lakes are in the state of potential dangerous. They may burst any time. The enlargement of such glacier lakes are increasing day by day. Nepal has already experience the Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in 1885.  Dig Cho Lake was burst in 1985 that has caused several damages. This is taken as the cause of increase in temperature.

 Underground water levels are also decreasing in recent days. This has been taken as an effect of urbanization and over extracting of ground water and has major role of increasing temperature.