Nepal’s average annual temperature is rising at nearly twice the global rate, accelerating the melting of Himalayan glaciers – known as ‘The Third Pole.’ These glaciers feed major rivers that supply water to billions of people across the region, making their retreat a profound threat to regional water security. At the same time, weather patterns are shifting rapidly. The timing of the monsoon has become increasingly erratic, bringing both intense downpours, heatwaves and prolonged dry spells, often resulting in natural disasters. These include floods, landslides and wildfires.

Climate change is having a severe impact on agriculture, particularly in the rural south where we work. Fragile farming systems are struggling to cope, undermining food security and deepening the vulnerability of poor and marginalised communities. In the Kathmandu Valley, the absence of seasonal rains that typically cleanse the atmosphere has contributed to some of the worst air quality levels in the world. Meanwhile, climate change is also driving biodiversity loss through habitat degradation and the disruption of ecological balance.