Introduction
Nepal has been identified as the fourth most vulnerable nation to climate change in the world. It faces complex environmental problems that are differentiated further by topography. Within an average span of 4.097° N latitude (26.337° and 30.434° N) and an approximate north-south distance of 184 km,...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Text |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2020
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7991387/ https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-50168-6_1 |
| Summary: | Nepal has been identified as the fourth most vulnerable nation to climate change in the world. It faces complex environmental problems that are differentiated further by topography. Within an average span of 4.097° N latitude (26.337° and 30.434° N) and an approximate north-south distance of 184 km, the elevation ranges from 62.75 m in the south (latitude, 26.3717° N, and longitude, 86.926° E) to 8848 m in the north (latitude, 27.9875° N, and longitude, 86.9267° E). While the south experiences unprecedented floods and high temperatures ranging from 10° to 48 °C, the north faces a frigid tundra climate (−36 °C/−33 °F to −18 °C/−0.04 °F at the peak of Mt. Everest). The north also is prone to glacial retreats and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) because of the rapid melting of ice due to high rates of increase in temperature at higher altitudes than at lower elevations. The mid-hills face problems such as floods, landslides, and water shortages. Variations in regional rainfall patterns continue to affect the environment. In the mountain region, the annual rainfall ranges from 140 mm (in the west) to 900 mm (in the east). In the mid-hills, temperature fluctuates from place to place, where the soils are very thin and extremely erodible in steep slopes with very little organic matter to bind them together. Lack of irrigation facilities has caused limited farming to some areas, especially, along the narrow terraces in the mid-hills. Though the southern Tarai plain has been serving as a breadbasket for Nepal, it is also not free from climate anomalies. Unprecedented floods often wash away fertile farmlands from the Tarai plain. Global climate change is affecting the patterns of rain events, hydrological cycles, and associated floods and landslides, crop production, and habitat shift, encouraging the incidence of new diseases and parasites. These geographic variations in Nepal’s landscape have led to the development of varied cultures and adaptive patterns. Added to these complexities, environmental problems are also ... |
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