Climate change threatens to damage the eco-systems on which poor people depend, thereby impeding their livelihood strategies. Developing countries, especially those that are least developed, and the poorest communities, are the most vulnerable. In these vulnerable countries and communities, the impacts of climate change pose a direct threat to people’s very survival. Indeed, changes are already occurring around the world and vulnerable communities are being forced to cope with impacts such as sea-level rise, drought and unpredictable weather patterns.
Climate change is largely caused by our emission of greenhouse gases. Fortunately, this leads to a very simple solution: reduce them!! This approach is known as climate change mitigation. Even if every factory, power plant, car and airplane shuts off completely, starting today (i.e. all emissions stopped worldwide), the IPCC estimates that we would still experience warming of an additional 0.6˚C this century, due to the slow response of the ocean system. What this means is that, regardless of the choices we make to mitigate climate change, some warming will still occur and we will have to find ways to adapt to the adverse effects it imposes. This crucial area of climate change is known as adaptation and focuses on how impacts can be reduced for communities often already struggling with poverty and vulnerability to natural disasters. These communities are often the first to be impacted, yet are likely to be those least responsible for causing climate change and have the fewest resources to adapt.
Mitigation and adaptation deal with the “cause” and “effect” aspects of the global climate change, respectively. Green house gas (GHG) mitigation strategies try to eliminate the “cause” of global climate changes e.g. concentration of carbon dioxide and other GHGs, whereas adaptation strategies try to minimize the adverse effects of the climate change e.g. fresh water shortage, spread of malaria, submersion of coastal area etc.
According to IPCC 1997, adaptation refers to any passive, reactive or anticipatory adjustment that can respond to the anticipated or actual consequences associated with climate change. Adaptation to climate change is an adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. It is an adjustment in ecological, social or economic systems to alleviate adverse impacts of change or take advantage of new opportunities. Various types of adaptation can be distinguished, including anticipatory and reactive adaptation, private and public adaptation, and autonomous and planned adaptation.
Although, Nepal’s total GHG emission share is negligible compared to the global community, Nepal has already encountered some of the negative effects of global climate change. Few glacial lake out-brust events are already seen in Nepal and other such as Chho-Rolpa is prevented from out-brusting. The downstream economic and societal implication of the floods induced by such glacial lake out-brust would be huge, whose likelyhood will increase by the climate change. Implications of the climate changes to the fragile mountain ecosystem, fresh water, and extreme weather events, agriculture, human health and others could be serious problem for Nepal in the future.
A study done by Department of Hydrology and Meteorology shows that average temperature in Nepal is increasing at a rate of approximately 0.06 degrees Celsius per year. The temperature in the Himalayas, however, is increasing at a faster rate, which is having serious impacts on the glaciers and glacial lakes – the main source of Nepal’s water resources. The Rika Samba Glacier in the Dhaulagiri region is retreating at a rate of 10 m per year. This is very unusual as glacial movement is usually measured in millimeters. UNEP has warned that more than 40 Himalayan glacial lakes are dangerously close to bursting because of the ice melt caused by global warming. Rapidly melting glaciers means more variation in river flow, which will in turn result in more floods and at later stage draughts. Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) that are occurring more frequently are disastrous to communities and infrastructure. Climatic variability such as change in precipitation intensity and frequency can trigger natural disaster events such as landslides, flash floods, soil erosion and drought so on.
The loss of top fertile soil due to soil erosion, landslide and floods coupled with negative effects of climate change may adversely reduce agricultural production in country. Nepal being a agrarian country, in the absence of systemic irrigation facility, has to heavily depend upon natural rainfall(monsoon) .So disturbances in natural rainfall pattern caused by climate change will be responsible for enhanced food insecurity and threat for Nepalese economy which is basically agriculture dependent.
Global warming may cause forest damage through migration towards the upper region, changes in their composition, extinction of species. This would affect not only the vast biodiversity of Nepal but also the livelihoods of majority of people who derive fuel, food, fodder, timber and medicines from forest.
The growing risk of Malaria, Kalazar and Japanese Encephalitis is considered as the potential impacts of Climate change on human health as warmer temperature may create favorable conditions for more vectors and germs spread such mosquitoes. Particularly subtropical and warm temperate regions of Nepal would be more vulnerable to Malaria, Japanese Encephalitis and Kalazar
Actions associated with building adaptive capacity may include communicating climate change information, building awareness of potential impacts, maintaining well-being, protecting property or land, maintaining economic growth, or exploiting new opportunities. The objectives associated with implementing adaptation decisions are more likely to focus on reducing the cumulative impacts of climate change, ensuring that adaptive measures taken by one organisation do not adversely impact upon others, avoiding anticipated adverse impacts of climate change, and ensuring that the distributional impacts of adaptation are minimised.
According to IPCC adaptation options are many, including:
- behavioural change at the individual level, such as the sparing use of water in times of drought
- technological and engineering options such as increased sea defences or flood-proof houses
- risk management and reduction strategies such as early warning systems for extreme events
- promotion of adaptive management strategies
- development of financial instruments such as insurance schemes
- promotion of ecosystem management practices, such as biodiversity conservation to reduce the impacts of climate change on people, e.g. by conserving and restoring mangroves to protect people from storms
Some adaptive option for Nepal may be:
- Improve observation and forecasting
- Early warning systems
- Map hazards and vulnerabilities
- Promote afforestation and conservation
- Sustainable forest management
- Integrate forest, soil and water resource management
- Promote water conservation and market-based water allocation
- Increase irrigation efficiency
- Increase community awareness and participation in climate change adaptation programs
- Changes in production systems and cropping pattern will have significant impacts on both socio -economic well-being and the environment.
- Mitigate GLOF risks
- Drain by siphon or pump
- Cut a drainage channel
- Downstream flood control measures
- Expand irrigation and storage
- Develop reservoir hydropower
Globally around 330 million hectares of forest are designated for soil and water conservation, avalanche control, sand dune stabilization, desertification control or coastal protection. 4 percent of the world’s forests are designated for the provision of social services which has direct impact on climate change adaptation. But in most of developing country budget in forestry sector is very low and no due attention on this. Governments need to spend more than they generate revenue from forestry products.
Climate change is an incredibly complex problem to address. Unlike other issues, nearly every person contributes to climate change and everyone will suffer from its effects. We all share one atmosphere and our individual emissions have a global impact. Of course, some are more responsible for emissions while others are more exposed to their impacts.
While we can all have an impact through our individual choices, there is a need to co-ordinate everyone’s actions to ensure that all are doing their fair share. This is where policy comes into play. Policy can make co-operation easier at any level. But political and socio- economic conditions and circumstances prevent the country fully understanding the government's climate change related policy formulation. Again it is difficult to formulate any climate related policy without full awareness of policy makers. Similarly it is quite difficult to implement any policies and measures unless public has deep perception and appreciation of the climate change issues.
In these circumstances according to Nicklai Denisov, an UNEP export, Policy-makers need to be continuously and directly informed about environmental problems facing their countries. Usually, at least currently, the environment is not decision-makers' first priority, hence one should explain its relevance in other, easier to appreciate, terms: health, security, politics, and foreign relations. (This is what is happening now with the notion of climate change.) And then of course peer pressure is important, the educated public will demand from decision-makers solutions to environmental problems. Besides, voters are policy-makers themselves. Mass media play a key role, there both people in the street and ministers get much information and ideas.
According to another UNEP expert Ernst Rauch, information and transparency about our current understanding of causes of Climate Change and possible consequences from Climate Change could be the key to success. This information ("education") has to reach two main parties in the political process of decision-making: The people in general and policy-makers in special. If policy-makers do not have certain information available, they do not have the necessary basis for their decisions. However, if the general public has no information about Climate Change, it is also very difficult for political authorities to take the necessary actions with the support of the people.
Policy makers are the most intelligent group, yet they need to be informed about the updated knowledge about climate change, especially options to address the impacts of climate change. It is important to make them fully aware of the current environmental issues facing the world and their relation to different communities. To promote environmental awareness it is important to use channels that would be interesting to people. Through music concerts and theatre would be great to get draw attentions to certain environmental issues. Requesting artists, sports persons, and other local leaders who are champions for the environment, and with who people can identify with, to support a certain environmental cause such as campaigns against climate change. Having a regular educational program can help create a critical mass of trained policymakers and mobilizing civil society in demanding positive changes; this can help motivate policymakers
References
- Climate change, youth guide to action: TakingITGlobal 19 Duncan Street, Suite 505Toronto, Ontario, Canada,
- Dhakal S., Climate change initiatives and Nepal, Climate Change Program, Institute for Global Environmental Strategies 1650-39 Kamiyamaguchi, Hayama, Kanagawa 240 0198, Japan M5H
- Export answer : http://www.unep.org/experts/Default.asp?page
- NYCA blog, climate change and Nepal: http://climatenepal.wordpress.com/nepalese-perspective/