Nepal’s rich biodiversity is under threat due to deforestation, habitat loss, and increasing human encroachment. Kathmandu’s rapid urban growth has led to vanishing green spaces, drying historic ponds, and deforestation in the nearby hills. The sacred Bagmati River, which flows through the city, is now heavily polluted with sewage and industrial waste.

In southern Nepal, forests and wetlands are disappearing as agriculture, infrastructure, and urban development expand. Farming has shifted to monocultures reliant on chemical fertilisers and pesticides, degrading soil health. Roads and infrastructure also fragment habitats and disrupt wildlife movement.

Layered over these pressures is the growing impact of climate change. Rising temperatures and shifting rainfall patterns are altering ecosystems, pushing species to higher, cooler altitudes where survival becomes harder. Some species are vanishing altogether.