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VOL. 03, NO. 02, June 16, 2009 (Ashadh 02 2066) |
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Climate Change Affecting Poor
Although poor Nepalese only contribute a very negligible amount of Green House Gases to the atmosphere, they are among the people most affected by the extreme weather patterns caused by climate change. Climate change has already altered their agriculture, health and life style and these consequences are unavoidable. As a country with such geological diversity, Nepal is very vulnerable to climate change. Whatever bleak scenario is be predicted, poor people don’t have any other options but to live in the new situation. Experience has shown that there are ways to minimize the damages though an adaptation strategy. Although are still in the demonstrative stages, the adaptation projects launched by various agencies including Practical Action, a British Based INGO, showed how rural and underprivileged people can minimize the risk of extreme weather, such as floods. As Nepal recently celebrated World Environment Day, this year’s message was that we should unite to fight the climate change. The inception of National Adaptation Plan of Action (NAPA) gives a new hope that despite what changes lay ahead, the government has programs and policies
By KESHAB POUDEL
As flood rages in the western regions and drought plagues the east and central regions, it is getting harder to dismiss the scientists who claim that the weather is becoming not only warmer but more extreme. Both of these trends, each in its own way, have ominous implications for the life of poor people living in various parts of Nepal.
Floods devastated the property of millions of rupees in mid-western plains in Banke, Bardiya and Dang two years ago. Last year, the same occurred in far western region where excessive rains and flooding caused more than 100,000 people to lose their homes.
People of Kanchanpur and Kailali, two districts of far western region, are yet to make up their minds as to weather they should return. Memories of the devastation which they encountered are fresh and the farmers are yet to clear their agricultural land which is covered by sand.
The prolong drought of this year has already created havoc among the farmers who just switched to alternative agriculture. Known as a successful model for poverty alleviation, the future of off seasoned vegetables is under threat. These vegetables rely upon a predictable rain pattern. Nepal’s whole agricultural system is under the threat as the weather patterns continue to change.
As the weather is getting warmer, the people living in the plains are also facing the rise of mosquito born diseases such as Malaria. These trends, each in its own way, have ominous implications for the spread of infectious disease.
All this shows that Nepal is highly vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change. Rises in temperature related to global warming are associated with changes to rainfall patterns, such as less frequent but more intense rainfall events, increasing frequency and intensity of floods, changes in monsoon on and offset, longer dry spells and drought events, increasing storms and a growing threat from Glacial Lake Outburst (GLOF).
Weather Threatening Life Style
As it is predicted, the weather is going to change affecting adversely in the livelihood of the poor people living in the rural parts of Nepal. Along with facing natural disasters, there is an increased risk of infectious disease.
“The studies have shown that Neal is very vulnerable to climate change and this is the reality for our future,” said Umesh Mainali, secretary of Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology. “We have already started to Prepare National Strategy for Plan of Adaptation; we will receive international support to cope with the situation.”
According to scientists, the change in climate affects the earth’s atmosphere in various ways. The tracks of the cyclones and extra tropical disturbances will be influenced by the changing weather pattern.
For the country like Nepal, there is no easy way out. Nepal will need to spend billions of rupees to prepare for the effects of climate change, for example to build the infrastructure to prevent devastation caused by flooding in the western regions and the cost of massive people resettlement projects.
“Extreme events like floods and landslides will generate forced migration as well as adverse environmental impacts like loss of bio-diversity. The water stresses will have greater burden on the poorer sections of the society who are already in more vulnerable social and economic conditions,” said former director general of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology Adharsha Pokharel. “The studies show that there will be decreasing low flows during the non-monsoon seasons in the river as a result of climate change.”
Fluctuations of Weather
Annual temperature is rising at a rate of 0.06 degree Celsius per year (1977-2000). Days and nights are becoming warmer. Days of rain are decreasing but the number of rainy days over 100 millimeters is increasing. Rainfall patterns are changing (season, duration and amount).
According to Batu Krishna Uprety, under secretary in the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology, the Green House Gas emissions of Nepal is only 0.025 percent of the global total and per capita emissions are just 2 tons. However despite not contributing to the problem, Nepal will be greatly affected by climate change as it disrupts snowmelts, glaziers and creates major changes in the rain pattern. "The rise in the temperature will increase the precipitation which could lead to major changes in rain pattern."
According to Meteorologists, one can see extreme weather pattern in the various parts of Nepal. After torrential rain at the end of September, there was no rain recorded in most of the country until the May. Department of Hydrology and Meteorology’s data indicates that the temperature is rising and it is going to have substantial impact in all economic sectors, especially water resources, agriculture and tourism.
More Problems in Himalaya
One visibly sees the effects of climate change. The highest temperature in Kathmandu is increasing with the rate of 0.06 decrees Celsius per decade. Further the rise in temperature is even more extreme higher in the Himalayas then in the lower elevations and this has become a major concern.
After successfully climbing Mt. Everest 18 times this year, veteran mountaineer Appa Sherpa revealed that he had not seen snow along the way to Mt. Everest which he is used to seeing during his previous journeys to world’s highest peak.
“The snow has disappeared in many places and all I have seen is black rock instead of white snow,” said Appa Sherpa, while addressing the press after his successful 18th time summit to world’s tallest peak.
The high Himalayas have huge amounts of snow and many glaciers which is an important source of fresh water, especially in the non monsoon months. Any fast depletion of snow and glaciers will have major effect in the livelihood of people in Nepal, and elsewhere.
“Observational records and climate change projections have revealed that water resources are highly vulnerable to climate change with wide-ranging consequences on human societies and ecosystems. Water related disasters such as floods, landslides reduced low flows are all associated with climate change. Likewise, increasing temperature enhances the likelihoods of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in Nepal’s Himalayas,” said former director general of Hydrology and Meteorology Adharsha P. Pokharel. Potential GLOFs may damage lives, property and environment along the river valley hundreds of kilometers downstream from the GLOF source.”
According to the study conduced by P.K. Mool, S.R. Bajracharya and S.P. Joshi in 2001 for ICIMOD, in Nepal’s Himalayas, there are 3252 glaciers with a surface area of 5323 square kilometers (almost 3.7 percent of Nepal’s total surface area). Similarly, there are 2323 glacial lakes indentified so far, out of which 20 are identified as the most dangerous ones with potential risks of GLOFs.
Adaptation Is Key
Although various organizations have been launching programs to cope with extreme weather, there are only a few organizations are successful in addressing the situation by encouraging the people to cope with change.
Launched by Practical Action, community based early warning systems have been implemented in Banke and Bardia districts to help local people to cope with floods. Using various communication channels including local FM Stations and community based organizations; there are now mechanisms to disseminate the information about rainfall and water levels. If there is heavy rain in the upstream river basin, the information is disseminated to down stream areas.
If people are given accurate information on with plenty of time before the floods come, it will save peoples lives. If information is successfully disseminated in time, people may not be able to rescue everything but they will save their children and family members.
Similarly, Practical Action has also launched a program in Jugedi of Chitwan district offering farmers alternative crops and patterns to replace their traditional produce. After the introduction of the program, farmers in Jugedi are now planting a crop which can survive even in a changing weather pattern.
As the weather pattern is in the process of changing, what is required now is to implement effective strategies for adaptation. These changes will effect, agriculture, health and weather patterns, and as Nepal is unable t prevent these changes, we must learn to adapt to them.
NAPA
For Nepal, since its greenhouse gas emissions are negligible on a global scale, there is no significant advantage in responding to climate change issues through intensified mitigation approaches. Nepal cannot escape from the consequences of climate change and has recognized the need to take concrete steps to adapt to its adverse effects.
For the vulnerable country like Nepal, developed countries have expressed their commitment to meet the costs for adaptation. To qualify for funding Nepal needs to develop NAPA. Once we develop more practical and implementable adaptation projects, taking into consideration the NAPA documents of other LDCs, the government of Nepal will make every effort to channel funding for their implementation.
Supported by DANIDA, DFID, GEF and UNDP-Nepal, the NAPA Project- which is in the process of preparation, will open an enormous door to Nepal to get the funding for its adaptation programs and projects.
The development of a NAPA to climate change has been recognized as an important priority and a starting point for vulnerability reduction in climate sensitive sectors and sub-regions. Nepal being a LDC party to the UNFCCC and the Kyoto Protocol has to prepare NAPA to access funding for adaptation programs.
At a time when the poor of Nepal have been facing the consequences of extreme weather, minimizing the impacts through adaptation is key to Nepal. As the NAPA process kicks off, there is hopeful sign that more funding will be provided to develop adaptation programs in different parts of Nepal.
“We will prepare in schedule date”
Purushottam Ghimire
PURUSHOTTAM GHIMIRE, joint secretary at Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology and National Program Director of National Adaptation Program of Action Project (NAPA) project to climate change, is taking part in various national and international programs regarding climate change. In the context of World Environment Day, Ghimire spoke to New Spotlight on various issues regarding the inception of NAPA and government’s policy. Excerpts:
Is there any different to celebrate the World Environment Day in Nepal this year?
Yes. It is matter of great satisfaction for all of us to say that we are now in the process of preparing the NAPA. After the completion of NAPA, we can seek funding for the adaptation projects in Nepal. It took us several years to start the NAPA process.
How long it will take to prepare NAPA?
We have already kicked off the project by conducting an inception workshop, but we are yet to prepare a schedule.
Why does Nepal need to prepare NAPA?
You might know that the Least Developed Country (LDC) Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) are required to prepare the National Adaptation Program of Action (NAPA) to secure funding from the Convention’s financial mechanisms for the implementation of the adaptation projects and activities.
How many countries have prepared it?
As the end of April 2009, 40 countries out of 48 LDC parties to the Convention have already prepared and submitted the NAPA to the UNFCCC Secretariat. However, only few countries have received and/or are in the process of receiving funding from the LDC Fund for the implementation of their priority adaptation projects.
What is the state of Nepal?
As a LDC party to the UNFCCC, Nepal has just started the NAPA preparation process. Nepal considers NAPA preparation as an opportunity to streamline climate change programs. The Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology – the UNFCCC focal point for Nepal- has secured funding for the preparation of the NAPA along with the development of climate change knowledge, management and learning platform and also the development of multi-stakeholder framework of action.
Who supports the project?
For this project, we have received generous financial assistance from DANIDA. DFID, GEF and UNDP.
You have recently organized a workshop, what was its objective?
One of the objectives of the workshop is to provide an opportunity for various stakeholders to understand and provide feedback on the projects’ outputs, targets and activities. Secondly, to build a common understanding about the NAPA process and collect possible inputs of various partners during NAPA preparation and thirdly to identify important areas for that the NAPA should consider during its formulation.
How do you formulate NAPA?
We have planned to prepare our NAPA though consultative process. This is in the spirit of the NAPA preparation guidelines adopted by the seventh session of the Conference of the parties to the UNFCCC. In order to prepare a practical and implementable NAPA, we will take into considerations the major constraints and opportunities faced by other LDCs. We will share the major initiatives and project highlights to establish linkages between NAPA and other initiatives in the technical sessions.
How do you see the impact of climate change in Nepal?
Studies have already shown that Nepal is in very vulnerable situation. From agriculture to health, the impacts of climate change will make difficulties in the lives of millions of Nepalese. The extreme weather patterns have already started to hit the life of common people. Climate Change is going to have long term as well as short term impacts to Nepal. This is the reason we are formulating NAPA.
How your ministry is of coordinating with various ministries to cope with the situation?
As all of us know, there needs to be a multidirectional approach to cope with the situation. Ministry of Environment Science and Technology is inviting all government, as well as other stake holders to face the situation together. From water resources to health and to agriculture to home and forest, all the ministries have been working together.
How do you relate this year’s slogan of World Environment day to your programs?
The message of World Environment Day is clear as it says you need to unite to combat climate change. Not only with the government ministries, have we had very clear cut policy that even we are ready to work with bilateral and multilateral agencies, International Non-governmental organizations and local NGOs. Through the support and cooperation from all sides, we really can make a lot of difference.
