Do you remember the days of the past winters? The thick fog in the morning, the long-lasting cold, thick woolen clothes and evenings spent warming themselves by the fire! The winter of Mangsir-Pus had its own flavor. After the onset of Ashar, farmers would start preparing for sowing. There was no need for a mobile app or information from the Meteorological Department to predict the weather. Experience was the weather. When does it rain? When to sow seeds? When to plant? This knowledge had been passed down for generations. People's lives were linked to the rhythm of the weather.

However, today that rhythm is slowly deteriorating. Many people have started saying the same thing, 'The weather is not the same as before.' Winter is getting shorter, snow is starting to fall less, the mountains are starting to become empty. The pattern of rain is becoming more uncertain. Sometimes it doesn't rain for months, sometimes a few hours of rain can flood a village, drown a city. The time to sow the fields comes, the seeds are planted, the farmers are ready, but the sky doesn't cooperate.

The impact of changing weather is no longer limited to nature alone - it has begun to affect people's daily lives, labor, health, livelihood, housing, and concerns about the future. Then, suddenly, incessant rain washes away the same fields. In the Terai, the rice crops planted by farmers are submerged, landslides in the mountains destroy houses, and in Kathmandu, rivers start flowing on the streets after a few hours of rain. The impact of changing weather is no longer limited to nature alone - it has begun to affect people's daily lives, labor, health, livelihood, housing, and concerns about the future. These events are no longer just separate natural coincidences, the common cause connecting them is climate change.

According to the World Bank (2022) and various international studies, Nepal's contribution to the world's total greenhouse gas emissions is less than 0.1 percent. However, Nepal is seriously suffering from its effects. Due to Nepal's geographical diversity and sensitive ecosystems spanning the Himalayas, hills, and Terai, the effects of climate change are becoming more acute here. Therefore, today, climate change is not just a matter of environmental debate - it has become a national challenge directly linked to agriculture, health, economy, food security, migration, natural resources, and human life.

Studies by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), ICIMOD, and the Department of Water and Meteorology have shown that temperatures have been continuously increasing in recent decades. A country with a mountainous geography is considered particularly sensitive to the effects of climate change. Its effects are becoming clear through the accelerated melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, the increase in landslides in the hills, and the increasing heat, drought, and irregular rainfall in the Terai.

According to the National Adaptation Program of Action published by the then Ministry of Environment of the government in 2010, the annual average temperature increase in Nepal has reached about 0.06 degrees Celsius. The report shows that the temperature increase is occurring faster than the national average, especially in the high Himalayan regions.

Local residents of districts such as Solukhumbu, Mustang, Manang, Dolpa and Humla have shared their experiences of less snowfall than before, changing the timing of snowfall and shortening the winter season. Imja Glacier in Solukhumbu, Chho Rolpa Glacier in the Rolwaling region and various glaciers in the Manang and Mustang regions are considered high-risk. If such glaciers erupt, it can cause extensive damage to communities, agricultural areas, roads, bridges, hydropower and human life in the lower coastal areas.

Its impact is not limited to the Himalayan region. The impact on water availability, agricultural production, river systems, and even hydropower production is gradually reaching the hills and the Terai. Therefore, the change in the Himalayas is not just a problem for the Himalayas, but for the whole of Nepal.

The biggest problem with the weather today is irregularity. It does not rain when it should and it rains excessively when it should not. The late onset of monsoon rains in Ashar-Shrawan, heavy rains in a short period of time, and prolonged drought have become more apparent in recent years.

According to the details of paddy sowing made public by the government in 2023, sowing was affected throughout the month of Ashar due to insufficient rainfall in Dhanusha, Mahottari, Sarlahi, Rautahat, and Siraha districts of Madhesh Province. Details were made public that many farmers' fields were cracked, seeds began to dry out due to lack of irrigation, and sowing was delayed.

It is important to understand climate change not only as an environmental issue but as a national challenge related to the development, economy, food security, health and the future of future generations. Similarly, at the beginning of the 2024 monsoon, rice planting was affected due to insufficient rainfall in the districts of Banke, Bardiya, Kapilvastu and Rupandehi in Lumbini Province. Due to lack of timely rain, farmers had to irrigate their fields using diesel pumps, which also increased production costs. But ironically! After a long dry spell, sudden heavy rains for a few days are also increasing the risk of floods and inundations.

The incessant rains from the end of Asoj to the first week of Kartik in 2078 caused great damage in various districts. Data from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority also indicate that the risk of climate-related disasters in Nepal is continuously increasing. In 2024, more than 16,000 families were affected by floods and landslides, while more than 10,000 families were displaced. During the same period, 249 people lost their lives and thousands of homes and infrastructure were damaged.

Rice crops ready for harvest were submerged in various districts of Karnali, Sudurpaschim, Lumbini and Tarai. These figures clearly show that climate change is no longer just a future challenge but a present reality.

The Tarai region is considered the country's grain storehouse. This region is the mainstay of rice production, agricultural economy and rural life. However, when floods inundate fields, the impact is not limited to production. Farmers have taken loans to buy fertilizer, bought seeds and the family's hope for the whole year is linked to that crop. A few hours of flood can wipe out the hard work of the whole year.

The biggest challenge for farmers now is not only the soil, but also the weather. The impact of climate change is not only being felt by villages and farmers. Nepal's capital Kathmandu is also experiencing its effects every day. In the past few years, as soon as the monsoon begins, roads are submerged, drains are filled, vehicles are stuck in traffic jams for hours, and life is disrupted. Areas around the Bagmati, Bishnumati, Dhobikhola, and Manohara rivers are repeatedly flooded. In July 2024, areas including Teku, Balkhu, Samakhusi, Kapan, Anamnagar, and Koteshwor were flooded.

In the Kathmandu Valley, fields, ponds, and open lands that used to absorb water have been converted into concrete structures, so even normal rains can cause flooding. Experts warn that if timely attention is not paid to river conservation, improved sewage management, protection of open areas, and systematic urban development, such risks may become more serious in the coming years.

Another serious impact of climate change has been seen in the health sector. As rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, extreme heat and waterlogging increase, the risk of dengue, diarrhoea, typhoid and other water-borne and infectious diseases is also increasing. In 2022, Nepal experienced its biggest dengue outbreak to date. Dengue infection was confirmed in all 77 districts that year.

Another serious impact of climate change has been seen in migration. As water sources in many places in the hilly and mountainous regions dry up and farming becomes difficult, local residents have started moving in search of alternative settlements. Studies have shown that villages are gradually emptying in various hilly districts of Karnali, Sudurpaschim and Gandaki provinces due to lack of drinking water, declining productivity of cultivable land and limited livelihood opportunities.

Water problems are becoming serious in some settlements of Achham, Bajura, Doti, Kalikot, Jumla and Dailekh. In some communities, women have to spend hours every day fetching water from far away. As the problems of water, farming and employment increase, many families have been forced to migrate to urban centers like Nepalgunj, Dhangadhi, Surkhet, Pokhara and Kathmandu.

It may not be possible to completely stop the effects of climate change, but effective steps can be taken to reduce its risks and secure the future. Stopping deforestation, encouraging tree planting, protecting rivers and water sources, reducing plastic pollution and expanding the use of clean energy are the needs of the day.

A changing climate-adapted farming system should be developed in the agricultural sector. Rainwater harvesting, proper use of water, use of climate-tolerant seeds, improvement of irrigation management and strengthening of disaster preparedness at the local level can reduce the risk of the agricultural sector. In the Terai region, river management, embankment protection and flood early warning systems can reduce the damage caused by floods.