The analysis of global temperature by NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) studied that 2017 is the second warmest year on record for entire globe; this record backs 138 years to 1880. Globally the temperature is rising and affecting the environment and life on Earth which is all due to climate change. All the researchers, scientists, activists, environmentalist and ecologists have claimed the impacts of climate change on Earth which is the result of human activities. Nepal being the developing country is also the victim along with others even though it contributes only 0.2% CO2 emission. Nepal is the fourth most vulnerable country in terms of climate risks and 30th in terms of water induced disaster and most vulnerable to hydro-meteorological extreme events such as drought, storm, flood, inundation, landslide, debris flow, landslide and avalanche. Climate change is posing an additional threat not only to Annex I countries but highly to poorest countries like Nepal. Nepal’s average annual temperature has increased by 0.060C between 1997 and 2000 and these increases are more pronounced at higher altitudes and in winter.
The Paris Climate Agreement in December 2015 has set an ambitious goal of keeping warming significantly below 20C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.50C in comparison to pre-industrial levels. Nepal along with other 100 countries agreed for global temperature to stay well below 1.50C whereas a total of 46 countries agreed for global temperature to stay below 20C. A study conducted by Nepal Country Vulnerability Study Team in 2009 has projected that Nepal’s mean annual temperature may rise by 1.4 degree Celsius by 2030, 2.8 degree Celsius by 2060 and by 4.7 degree Celsius by 2090.As the temperature increment, 1.5 is in very near future 2030, Nepal needs to be prioritized in terms of Climate change adaptation measures as well as to increase the resilience towards the effect of Climate change.
Why stay below 1.50C for Nepal?
The COP21 at Paris ended with the Paris climate change Agreement but countries like Nepal, which depend on climate-sensitive sectors, are at high risk even with increases of 1.5°C. Now, one big question is regarding the impacts such a rise will have on Nepal. A report published by NASA shows that a jump from 1.5°C to 2°C would make the heat waves last around a third longer, and the rain storms, a third more intense.
In a situation where Nepal has already been hit by climate extremes such as heat waves, intense rainfall, drought and deadly windstorms, the impacts such as flash floods and landslides can be even more severe with higher temperature rises. The prolonged drought likely to decreases the agriculture production affecting the economy of people and the GDP of the entire country. This seems to increase the poverty. The number of casualties and damages because of the climate-induced disaster like flood, drought, landslide, GLOFS are likely to increases. Nepal Disaster report 2015 stated that almost 20% of the glacier area in Nepal above 5000m is likely to be snow and glacier-free area at an increase of temperature by 1°C and 2°C can cause the loss of almost 40% of the area. Nepal’s high altitude glaciers are thinning (30 cm-1 m) and retreating at an alarming rate (10-20m annually), faster than the world average, resulting in an increase in the number and size of glacial lakes and the threat of catastrophic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Lake Imja Tsho is an example of a glacier lake which was non-existent in 1960 and now covers nearly 1km2. The Imja glacier that feeds the lake has retreated 75 m between 2001 and 2006. The new inventory identified 3,808 glaciers with a total area of 4212 sq.km and 1,466 glacial lakes in Nepal. The rapid reduction in glaciers has profound future implication for downstream water resources.
The temperature of Nepal has already risen more than the average global temperature i.e, 0.74°C over the last 100 year. The Disaster Report 2016 has also included that of the current trends continue, 30% of the Himalayan glaciers, the water source for sixth of the world’s population could disappear. This seems to be very serious under the temperature increase of 1.5°C.
So, increases in temperature above 1.5°C will make the life of the people harder causing different diseases and problems. Additional, Nepal with the lack of technology and lack of financial resources might not be able to adapt to the negative impact of climate change. Morbidity and mortality due to vector-borne and water‐related diseases kill 1.5 million people every year. Vectors carrying pathogens causing diseases like malaria, dengue fever, Lyme disease and West Nile can very likely become more active and spread out to wider localities under temperature rise. Every year, diseases and natural calamities caused by such changes claim the lives of several people, the majority being poor women and children who lack the capacity to adapt to change. For instance, Diarrhoea kills 28,000 people annually in Nepal and most of the affected are children below age 5. IPCC predicts that approximately 20-30% of plant and animal species assessed so far are likely to be at increased risk of extinction if increases in global average temperature exceed 1.5 to 2.5 degree Celsius. Nepal is vulnerable to climate variability and Climate Change due to exposure to risks and also the study suggesting the rise of 1.5 degree Celsius by 2030 in Nepal, the adaptation measures must be initiated as soon as possible as to reduce the impacts in Nepal.
How to stay below 1.50C?
Achieving this goal is challenging, but it remains technologically and economically feasible. We ourselves are responsible for causing the impacts and we only can reduce it. We have to adopt natural solutions to stay below 1.50C. The government of Nepal have approved NAPA (National Adaptation Programme of Action) and LAPA (Local Adaptation Plan of Action) at the district or VDC level for combating climate change. Similarly, Community Forestry concept has been developed in most parts of Nepal whose advantages are effective protection, wise use of resources, plantation, forest fire control, and more effective contribution to local development and economic generation as well as biodiversity protection, water flow and soil stability. Similarly, we can reduce warming by reforestation, afforestation, existing forest protection, proper forest management, improved plantation, urban forestry, forest fire management, avoid fuelwood harvest and forest biomass protection for maintaining carbon stock. Cropland nutrient management through nitrogen-fixing plants and organic fertilizers, conservation agriculture through cover cropping and mulching, agroforestry concept, reduced grassland and shrubland conversion and improved cultivation are also the natural solutions towards agriculture. Improved livestock management practices, improved livestock feed, planting legumes also play an important role which can reduce excessive methane emission. Practices of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, use of alternative energy sources like solar energy, hydropower, wind energy, geothermal energy as well as awareness raising on climate change should be done.
Giving first importance to Eco-friendly products like leaf plates, maize cover carpets, bamboo furniture etc. which also increase job opportunities can be the better way. Even in 2015, we were able to ban plastic bags from Nepal and instead we are using a jute bag which is still taking the good market in Nepal. In 2015, excluding the electricity generated from large hydropower plants, 10.3% of all the global electricity was generated using renewable resources — sun, wind etc. To ensure that this percentage rises radically in the upcoming years, we must make sure that all countries have access to renewable technology.
While generating momentum on this front may be hard for many nations, activists and environmentalists can take comfort in the fact that the struggle is only bound to get easier with time. After all, the era of renewable revolution is almost upon us. Then why not start from today??
