The issue of climate change has been one of the most pressing issues in Nepal. Nepal may have made negligible contribution to the global climate crisis, but this Himalayan nation is at the receiving end of its severe impacts. The snow in the Himalayas is melting alarmingly, and a large number of glacial lakes are on the verge of outburst. There has been an erratic change in global temperature and precipitation patterns, with instances of glacier retreat and changes in streamflow becoming common occurrences. The flood in the Melamchi River in June 2021, which caused huge property losses, including the destruction of the Melamchi Water Supply Project, resulting in a total loss worth Rs 66 billion, is a stark reminder of the impact of climate change in Nepal. In June 2024, Kanchanpur district in western Nepal recorded the highest rainfall. The 624 mm of rain in 24 hours caused property losses worth Rs 1.5 billion. In August 2024, there was a glacial lake outburst flood in Thame in the Everest region. The flood washed away several human settlements and damaged various development infrastructure downstream. Most recently, in the last week of September, large parts of eastern and central Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley, received extreme rainfall that wreaked havoc across these regions, claiming well over 220 lives and causing losses worth several billions of rupees. These examples of extreme weather events that Nepal is beginning to experience as a result of climate change call for urgent action to tackle the impacts of climate change.
With this issue at heart, Nepal Republic Media organized the Climate Conclave 2024, themed "The Call of Mt. Everest for Global Climate Action, in the capital on Thursday to discuss the impacts of climate change and the way forward to ensure climate justice for countries like Nepal. Experts speaking at the event argued that the window of opportunity to act is closing rapidly. If the world fails to take immediate action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, vulnerable nations like Nepal will move from experiencing climate crises to facing a full-blown climate emergency. They all emphasized the need to act decisively and urgently without any further delay. As a newspaper, we join the experts in calling on the international community to advance climate action as the adverse impacts of climate change become increasingly evident across Nepal and beyond. The issue of gross injustice faced by Nepal and other nations with negligible contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions, who nonetheless suffer the consequences of climate disasters, must be addressed with urgency.
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The impacts of climate change in Nepal are manifold. While the country routinely faces extreme weather events that cause loss of life and property, the government is forced to divert resources meant for crucial sectors such as health and education to address the impacts of climate change. Since Nepal has limited resources at its disposal, such budget diversions from critical development areas and the impact of climate change on various economic sectors have hindered the country's efforts to transform into a developing nation, prompting Nepal to seek assistance from the international community. We urge the international community, particularly the affluent West, to be generous in providing financial support to poor countries to address the impacts of climate change. They should also live up to their promises to reduce carbon emissions to save the planet and humanity as a whole.
