MUSTANG, April 27: Climate change in the mountainous district of Mustang has dried up drinking water sources. Farmers are facing various challenges in agriculture and livestock due to the climate crisis.
Locals said that rising temperatures in the mountainous region, caused by climate change, have negatively affected drinking water, agriculture, and livestock. During a discussion on a five-year energy feasibility study held in the villages of Gharpajhong and Waragung Muktichhetra, Jomsom residents shared that climate change has harmed drinking water, agriculture, and livestock.
The GIJET is conducting a five-year energy survey in the local areas of Gharpajhong and Waragung Muktichhetra. During the survey discussion, Jomsom residents said the climate crisis impacted drinking water, agriculture, livestock, and biodiversity in Mustang.
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Deepak Sherchan, president of the Drinking Water Consumer Committee, reported that the reduction in glacier sources has caused a severe drinking water crisis in the Jomsom market of Gharpajhong. He explained that the increasing number of households, the expanding commercial sector, and the presence of government offices in Jomsom have raised water demand, but the drying up of sources has made it impossible to meet this demand.
Sherchan stated the difficulty of meeting the market's drinking water needs and called for alternative solutions. He clarified that although three glacier sources supply water to Jomsom market, rising temperatures due to the climate crisis are diminishing these sources. While the water sources in Kungle Lenk and Thini 1-2 remain secure, the drying up of glacier sources has led to a water shortage.
"The commercial sector has increased the demand for drinking water," he said. "As water sources decrease, we must explore other energy options to address the long-term problem."
Rajendra Sherchan, a farmer from Gharpajhong-4, explained that snowfall has stopped during the management and irrigation of apples and other native crops in the Himalayan region. He added that continuous rainfall during the apple blossom period has damaged apples and grain crops.
The lack of snowfall during favorable seasons and untimely snowfall causes flowers in orchards to fall, while rising temperatures promote the spread of pests, damaging both production and quality. Farmers reported that climate change causes apple production in Mustang to fluctuate each year.
Bhupendra Sherchan, a livestock farmer from Gharpajhong, pointed out that climate change is affecting livestock farming. He explained that the lack of snowfall in high-altitude grazing areas has halted grass growth. "As the glacier sources decrease, managing yaks at high altitudes has become more challenging, and the risk from wild animals has also increased," he said.
