At least 175 lives are lost every year due to floods in Nepal. The economic losses to the Himalayan country due to floods are pegged at $140 million and damage to assets is at 1.4% of GDP.
For those living in Nangapur village in Nepal, living with floods is an everyday reality. The Karnali, a major river in Nepal, deluges hundreds of villages in Nepal, and people in the lower Karnali basin area, can’t sleep in the monsoon, due to fear of the gushing waters washing them away with their homes.
Ever since the installation of early warning systems along all river basins the situation has considerably improved – many lives have been saved and loss and damage to property reduced.
Climate change has badly affected agriculture-based livelihoods in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand of India. Agriculture is becoming increasingly difficult in the Himalayan slopes, but farmers are responding with the spirit of resilience and enterprise.
Local communities have resorted to alternate livelihoods and combat future impacts of climate change. These include quail farming, mushroom cultivation, bee-keeping, and choosing climate-resilient species, as a means of income livelihood to people, and reverse the trend of migration from the hills.
Depleting water resources in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand in India, are causing agriculture and drinking water problem and aggravating forest fires.
Climate change is causing depleting and drying up of water sources. Recharging the water sources -lakes, springs – in the simplest and low-cost method by building trenches that hold and recharge the water aquifers has been adopted. It has solved water shortages for drinking and agriculture and also reduced forest fires. The locals from Pata village have also planted trees that hold water.
