Publication: Climate Risks, Exposure, Vulnerability and Resilience in Nepal
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2023-11-10
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2023-11-10
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The authors investigate key climate change hazards affecting Nepali households and livelihoods: river flooding, heat exposure, drought, landslides, and air pollution. The authors analyze the distributional impacts of these hazards by combining spatial distributions of exposure with measures of socio-economic vulnerability and coping ability. While landslides are more likely to occur in the northern mountainous areas of Nepal, the southern parts of Nepal are at higher exposure to river flooding, heat, and drought hazards. Coping ability is highest in the southern lowlands (Terai) and urban settlements, which leaves northern, mountainous areas more vulnerable, despite being less affected. New human settlements in mountainous areas are built on steeper slopes as flat land in valleys has become scarce, which increases their vulnerability to floods and landslides. Forward modelling (2041-2060) shows increasing severity of heat and intensifying extreme rainfall. The increase in extreme precipitation events affects particularly the historically less-affected western provinces with relatively low economic development. Overall, the northern parts of the country will require concerted support to withstand shocks, and in the south, investments in agricultural livelihoods will be needed to support adaptation to climate risk. Proactive, spatially targeted investments are needed by all levels of government to mitigate the welfare impacts of these diverse climate change hazards. National investments in human capital are required to transform Nepali livelihoods in line with a green transition.
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“Amadio, M.; Behrer, A.P.; Bosch, L.; Kaila, H.K.; Krishnan, N.; Molinario, G.; Kaila, Heidi. 2023. Climate Risks, Exposure, Vulnerability and Resilience in Nepal. © World Bank. http://hdl.handle.net/10986/40597 License: CC BY-NC 3.0 IGO.”
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