Climate Change Impact on Floods and Water Borne Disease in Nepal

Abstract

Introduction:

Nepal’s reported risk to Climate Change adaptation reported by Notre Dame Global Adaptation Initiative Index (ND-GAIN Index) 2020 is 5.2 and ranked 71% high in country vulnerability, 126th of the total 180 countries. According to the report of the Ministry of Forest and Environment in 2018, flood is one of the principal climatic hazards in Nepal. According to the Department of Health Services Nepal, 3,500 children die each year due to water-borne diseases (WBD). The objective of this study is to analyze the climate change impact focusing on floods and WBD for the past two decades.

Method:

A secondary data analysis method was used to analyze the impact of floods and WBD attributed to climate change. Data was obtained from Nepal Risk Reduction Portal (http://drrportal.gov.np), Nepal Annual Health Reports (2000-2021), Nepal Government Vulnerability and Risk Assessment reports, and reputable journals.

Results:

Climate-related disasters have increased by six-fold in 2021, as compared to 2000 in Nepal. Among the people affected by disasters 71% of them are due to floods. Flood events during the last 21 years have a fluctuating trend with highest and lowest events observed in 2017(388) and 2015(15) respectively. Heavy and unusual rainfall patterns as a major indicator of climate change is likely to cause riverine floods and flash flooding by melting the glaciers. The incidence of diarrhea disease rose by 4.39% for 1°C increase in ambient temperature in data analysis collected on temperature and diarrhea from July 2002-June 2014.

Conclusion:

The findings suggested that increased temperatures in Nepal might have induced a change in flood events and the incidence of WBD (such as diarrhea), thus emphasizing the importance of climate change adaptation plans, flood risk management, and WBD surveillance to be prioritized and put in place to mitigate the effects of climate change.