There is a general agreement that Climate Change is impacting Nepal rather disproportionately compared to its location and size and miniscule contribution of the green house gases (GHG). However, given its location between two rapidly growing economies of India and China, Nepal cannot escape the rapidly increasing influence of climate variability and change. The rapidly retreating glaciers (average retreat of more than 30 m/year), rapid rise in temperature (>0.06°C/year), erratic rainfalls and increase in frequency of extreme events such as floods and drought like situation are some of the effects Nepal has been facing during the last few years. Most of the big rivers of Nepal are glacier-fed and its main resources of water and hydroelectricity will be seriously affected due to the ongoing changes in glacier reserves, snowfall and natural hazards. Nepal has to prepare itself to try and mitigate these effects if possible and if not adapt to them to reduce their impacts on our lives and livelihoods.

Nepal is largely a mountainous country and current indications are that the mountain regions are more vulnerable due to increased warming trends as well as extreme changes in altitude over small distances. These alarming trends not only make Nepal’s major sectors of economy especially agriculture, water, tourism and energy most vulnerable besides endangering the health, security and wellbeing of Nepalese people. Biodiversity – the other important resources of Nepal is also being affected as invasive species will spread fast and useful medicinal, food and nutrition related plants may disappear. Climate change is becoming already dangerous to our survival and we have to do everything possible to prevent it being catastrophic to us. The globally accepted strategy to contain disastrous climate change impacts is mainly adaptation and mitigation. Although, for a least developed country such as Nepal, adaptation has to be the priority in all its shapes and forms, mitigation with adaptation co-benefits is increasingly becoming important under the principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR) based on the capability.

Nepal is currently implementing National Action Plan on Adaptation (NAPA) as a member of the LDC group and is preparing National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), Nationally Appropriate Mitigation Action (NAMA), and Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) all of which need to be linked to sustainable development framework and goals (SDGs). Well coordinated, quick and serious implementation of NAPA and NAP implementation will be extremely important to mitigate and adapt to the growing impacts of climate change in Nepal feeding into the achievement of INDC targets. Nepal’s central location in the Himalaya portends to the fact that it is the prime target country of climate change impacts and calls for it to play a leadership role at least in showing political will and playing a responsible role in global events such as the Rio+20 convention meetings, especially COPs. A the recently concluded COP21 in Paris, Nepal’s position – as a member of the LDC, was to advocate for keeping the global temperature below 1.5 degree Celsius and seek more funds for LDC and climate vulnerable country