Climate Change and Health in Nepal: A Battle for Survival in the Shadow of Melting Glaciers

When the Mountains Weep

In the village of Kagbeni, nestled in Nepal’s Mustang district, the Kali Gandaki River—once a roaring lifeline—now trickles through a desiccated bed. Farmers who once harvested barley and apples watch as their fields vanish under advancing desertification, while children trek farther each day to fetch water tinged with glacial silt. This is the new reality of climate change in Nepal, a country responsible for just 0.025% of global emissions yet ranked among the world’s most vulnerable to its ravages. From the melting glaciers of the Himalayas to the floodplains of the Terai, climate change is not an abstract threat but a daily assault on human health. This article unravels how rising temperatures, erratic weather, and environmental degradation are fueling disease, malnutrition, and displacement—and how communities are fighting back with resilience rooted in tradition and innovation.

A Nation on the Frontlines

Nepal’s climate vulnerability is etched into its geography. The Himalayas, home to 8 of the world’s 10 highest peaks, are warming three times faster than the global average. Since the 1970s, over 2,000 glacial lakes have formed, 21 of which are deemed at high risk of catastrophic outburst floods. Meanwhile, the Terai’s fertile plains—the nation’s breadbasket—face escalating droughts and monsoons of biblical intensity. These shifts are not merely environmental; they are existential threats to a population where 70% rely on subsistence farming.

The 2015 Paris Agreement recognized Nepal as a “least developed country” requiring urgent climate aid, yet funding remains scarce. A

2023 UN report

revealed that Nepal receives just $3 per capita annually for climate adaptation—less than the cost of a cup of tea in Kathmandu.

Water—Scarcity, Pollution, and Disease

In the Himalayas, glacial retreat is disrupting freshwater systems. The Imja Glacier, which feeds the Dudh Koshi River, has lost 20% of its mass since 2000. Downstream, communities face paradoxical crises: dwindling water supplies and lethal floods.

The Thirst of Upper Mustang

In Lo Manthang, a medieval walled city, groundwater levels have dropped by 15 meters in a decade. Families ration drinking water, and women like Pema Dolkar spend six hours daily hauling jerrycans from contaminated springs. A 2023 study by ICIMOD linked the region’s spike in kidney stones and urinary infections to dehydration and high mineral content in remaining water sources.

Monsoon Fury in the Terai

In contrast, the Terai battles water excess. The 2022 monsoon inundated Sunsari District, triggering a cholera outbreak that sickened 3,000. Floodwaters, laced with pesticides and sewage, turned villages into petri dishes of disease. “We treated children for diarrhea only to see them contract dengue from mosquito bites days later,” says Dr. Ramesh Yadav of Biratnagar Medical College.

Air Pollution—The Invisible Killer

Kathmandu Valley’s air, once famed for its clarity, now rivals Delhi’s toxicity. Winter inversions trap vehicular emissions, brick kiln smoke, and crop residue fires, pushing PM2.5 levels to 20 times WHO safety limits.

A Generation Struggling to Breathe

At Kanti Children’s Hospital, 4-year-old Anika Shakya battles asthma exacerbated by pollution. Her mother, Sita, masks her with a scarf soaked in water—a futile shield against particles that penetrate deep into lungs. Nepal’s Ministry of Health estimates that 35,000 deaths annually are linked to air pollution, with rates of COPD and lung cancer doubling since 2010.

Farmers in the Crossfire

In the Terai, crop burning and pesticide use have created a vicious cycle. Rice farmers like Hari Prasad Chaudhary burn stubble to clear fields, unaware that the smoke worsens their chronic bronchitis. “The doctor says my lungs are black,” Hari coughs. “But how else can I feed my family?”

Hunger in a Warming World

Climate change is crippling Nepal’s food systems. Rising temperatures have expanded the range of pests like the fall armyworm, which devoured 30% of maize crops in Palpa District in 2023. Erratic rains disrupt planting cycles, while soil degradation slashes yields.

The Plight of Humla’s Mothers

In Humla, a remote Himalayan district, prolonged droughts have decimated barley harvests. Pregnant women like Maya Rokaya survive on a daily meal of nettle soup, leading to a 45% rate of maternal anemia. “My baby stopped moving last month,” Maya whispers, her eyes hollow. Clinics here lack iron supplements, and malnutrition services are a five-day walk away.

Urban Food Deserts

Even Kathmandu faces scarcity. Erratic monsoons have driven up rice prices by 70%, forcing slum dwellers to subsist on stale chiura (beaten rice). A 2023 survey by the Nivaran Foundation found that 60% of daily wage laborers in Kirtipur skip meals to afford rent.

Climate-Linked Disease—The New Epidemics

Warmer temperatures are enabling disease vectors to invade new territories. Dengue, once rare above 1,000 meters, now thrives in Kathmandu (1,400m). In 2023, Nepal recorded 55,000 dengue cases—a tenfold increase from 2010.

The Mosquito’s March

In Dharan, a city once shielded by cool winters, Aedes aegypti mosquitoes now breed year-round. During a 2022 outbreak, surgeon Dr. Arjun Koirala worked 20-hour shifts as patients overwhelmed hospitals. “We ran out of IV fluids and beds,” he recalls. “Children lay on floors, burning with fever.”

Kala-Azar’s Resurgence

In the western Terai, visceral leishmaniasis (kala-azar), a deadly parasitic disease, has resurged as sandfly habitats expand. Landless communities like the Musahars, who sleep in open fields, suffer the highest toll. “We bury three people a week,” says community leader Ramji Ram.

Mental Health—The Invisible Scars

Climate change is a catalyst for psychological trauma. In Sindhupalchowk, farmers report panic attacks during unseasonal rains. “My hands shake when clouds gather,” admits rice grower Gopal Shrestha, whose fields were obliterated in a 2021 landslide. Shattering mental health stigmas is crucial to ensuring climate-affected communities get the support they need:

Why Open Conversations Matter.

Eco-Anxiety Among Youth

Kathmandu’s students, bombarded by apocalyptic climate rhetoric, grapple with despair. A 2023 TU study found that 40% of university students feel “hopeless” about the planet’s future. Activist Alisha Karki, 22, organizes “climate circles” where youths process grief through art. “We’re not just fighting emissions,” she says. “We’re fighting for our sanity.”

Adaptation—Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation

Nepal’s communities are harnessing tradition and technology to adapt.

Reviving the Dzomo: A Hybrid Hope

In Nuwakot, farmers are crossbreeding yaks with cattle to create dzomos, resilient hybrids that produce milk in colder, higher altitudes. “They’re our insurance against warming,” explains herder Tenzing Sherpa.

Solar-Powered Cold Stores

In Kavre, the NGO SmartPaani installs solar-powered cold storage units, allowing tomato farmers to preserve harvests despite erratic electricity. “Before, half our crop rotted,” says farmer Laxmi Dhital. “Now we sell year-round.”

The Nivaran Foundation’s Climate Clinics

In Dolpa, mobile “climate clinics” offer dual services: health check-ups and agro-training. Patients receive vitamins alongside drought-resistant millet seeds. “Health and harvests are intertwined,” says coordinator Dr. Anjali Thapa.

Policy—Promises vs. Reality

Nepal’s 2021 Climate Change Policy ambitiously targets net-zero emissions by 2045, but implementation is mired in bureaucracy. A 2023 audit revealed that 65% of climate funds remain unspent due to corruption and incompetence.

Local Leadership Lights the Way

Provinces are taking matters into their own hands. Karnali’s 2023 Agro-Ecology Act promotes organic farming, while Bagmati’s “Clean Air Pact” enforces stricter emissions standards. Yet, without federal support, progress is fragmented.

A Fight for Survival, A Cry for Justice

Nepal’s climate crisis is a microcosm of global inequity—a nation paying the price for others’ excess. Yet, in the tenacity of Himalayan farmers, the ingenuity of youth activists, and the solidarity of health workers, there lies a defiant hope. The path forward demands more than aid; it requires reparations. Wealthy nations must honor their climate debt, and Nepal’s leaders must prioritize people over politics.

The

Nivaran Foundation

stands with Nepal’s communities, amplifying their voices in global forums and forging partnerships that marry climate action with health justice. As the mountains weep, we rise—not just to survive, but to reclaim a future where every breath, every harvest, and every life is sacred.