SANGAM

Warming Himalayas putting rural communities under risk

By Sangam Prasain
Kathmandu, Aug. 28
Carbon emission produced by the developed nations has robbed the smile of the Himalayas. Temperature rise in the Himalayan region has brought drastic impacts on crop yields, water shortage and snow melting, pushing rural villagers to the edge of consequences, said an Oxfam report released here Friday.
Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world, with around 31 per cent of its population of 28 million living below the poverty line. Its diverse topography, fragile eco-system and extreme poverty make it vulnerable to the negative impact of climate change, despite, having one of the lowest emission in the world of 0.025 per cent of the total global Greenhouse Gas Emissions.
Implications of the climate change to the fragile mountain ecosystem, fresh water, and extreme weather events, agriculture, human health and others are taking its toll where the people living in the selected areas are facing serious problems, the report underlines.
The report ‘Even the Himalayas Have Stopped Smiling: Climate Change, Poverty and Adaptation in Nepal’ claimed that changing weather patterns had dramatically affected crop production, leaving them unable to properly feed themselves and getting into debt.
According to the report, currently, more than 3.4 million people in Nepal are estimated to require food assistance attributed to the natural disaster including last year’s drought.
The recent changes in the weather patterns in Nepal are an increase in temperature extremes, more intense rainfall and increased unpredictability in weather patterns including drier winters and delays in the summer monsoons. The melting of the Himalayan glaciers will also be felt well beyond Nepal’s borders, the report claims.
According to the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), more than 40 glacier lakes in Nepal are under the risk of eruption due mainly to the ill effects of climate change.
As an under-developed country with less emission rate, Nepal has a good reputation in the Asian region and the rest of the world in terms of carbon. But in the wake of climate change across world, Nepal needs to further raise questions for mitigation and adaptation, the participants here pointed out.
They pointed out their attention towards injustice that Nepalese were suffering as a consequence of a situation that Nepal has least resources and awareness to cope with it.
Simon Lucas, from the DFID Nepal, said that the voice of the Himalayan region should be addressed by the international community, which demands action.
The developed nations should take responsibility for the degradation of the climate in the developing countries and further move on to reduce their emissions with regard to the standards set according to future agreement, he added.
"It is very important that the voice of Himalayan region in the coming Copenhagen global climate treaty by late December will be more reasonable," he added.
Bert Maerten of the Oxfam International urged the developed countries for fair climate treaty. He said that these nations, which are largely responsible for the havoc, should enhance commitments and focus on the bottom-line that ensures substantial financial support for the developing nations.
They should further help in assisting the most impacted countries with possible resources including technological transfer and take proactive measures to adapt and mitigate the climate change.
"Time is running out for the climate deal, commitments of national leaders need to be more proactive and negotiation is really important for such disasters humanity ever face," he added.
More than 190 nations are negotiating a global climate treaty to reduce gas emissions and replace the expiring 1997 Kyoto Protocol limits. Countries plan to wrap up negotiations and sign the new treaty in Copenhagen by late December.
The report calls for immediate short and long term measures that Nepal should adopt.
It has suggested supporting rural livelihood adaptation, incorporation of climate change issues into national level planning, and improve international advocacy as long-term measures.
Similarly, easing food shortage, awareness and institutionalisation of disaster risk reduction have been recommended as short-term measures.