Nepal is highly vulnerable to climate change and has already experienced changes in temperature and precipitation at a faster rate than the global average. Millions of Nepalese are estimated to be at risk from the impacts of climate change including reductions in agricultural production, food insecurity, strained water resources, loss of forests and biodiversity as well as damaged infrastructure.
Nepal’s varied topography and social vulnerability make the country particularly susceptible to geological and climate-related disasters. An increase in soil erosion, landslides, flash floods, and droughts has been reported in recent years across the country, with increased intensity and impact on the lives and livelihoods of the Nepalese. The estimated costs of such events have been large, equivalent to approximately 1.5 percent of current GDP per year.
Erratic weather patterns projected in climate models may exacerbate these problems in years to come. High-resource dependent livelihoods are the norm in Nepal, and socio-economic data, including low literacy rates (53%), hunger (30-40% of the Nepalese suffered from hunger in 2007), and widespread poverty levels in rural areas all point to a limited capacity to adequately address future climate change risks. (Source: GFDRR). Millions of Nepalese are estimated to be at risk from the impacts of climate change including reductions in agricultural production, food insecurity, strained water resources, loss of forests and biodiversity as well as damaged infrastructure. (Source: USAID: Climate Risk Profile, Nepal)
As per Germanwatch, GLOBAL CLIMATE RISK INDEX 2020, Nepal ranks 9th in climate risk index for the period of 1989-2018.
