Climate, weather and international efforts

Weather is the state of the atmosphere at a particular place and time – temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind, cloud – which changes from hour to hour and day to day (e.g. "it is raining in Pokhara today"). Climate is the average weather of a place over a long period, usually 30 years or more (e.g. "Pokhara has a wet sub-tropical climate").

International efforts on mitigation and adaptation

1. IPCC (1988) – assesses climate science; its reports guide policy.
2. UNFCCC (1992, Rio Earth Summit) – framework treaty; annual COP meetings; principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
3. Kyoto Protocol (1997) – binding emission cuts for developed countries (about 5% below 1990 levels in 2008–2012); Clean Development Mechanism allowed projects such as Nepal's biogas to earn carbon credits.
4. Paris Agreement (2015) – all countries submit NDCs; goal to keep warming well below 2 °C and pursue 1.5 °C; net-zero by the second half of the century; global stocktake every five years.
5. Montreal Protocol (1987) and its Kigali Amendment (2016) – the Montreal Protocol phases out CFCs; the Kigali Amendment phases down HFCs.
6. Climate finance – Green Climate Fund, Adaptation Fund, GEF, Loss and Damage Fund (COP27/28).
7. Adaptation programmes – National Adaptation Plans, LDC Fund; Nepal's NAPA, LAPA and NAP.
8. REDD+ – payments for forest conservation.

Why these efforts help create a better Earth

1. Limit warming – global cooperation has already lowered projected warming compared to the no-policy path; renewable energy is now the cheapest new power in most countries.
2. Protect ecosystems – limiting warming to 1.5 °C saves far more coral reefs, glaciers and species than 2 °C.
3. Cleaner air and better health – cutting fossil fuels reduces air pollution deaths.
4. Resilient communities – adaptation funding builds early warnings, resilient crops and infrastructure; fewer lives lost to floods and GLOFs.
5. Justice for vulnerable countries – finance and technology transfer help countries like Nepal that emit little but suffer much.
6. Green economy – new jobs in solar, EVs, efficiency; sustainable development (SDG 13).
7. Proven success – the Montreal Protocol is healing the ozone layer, showing that collective action works.

However, current NDCs are still not enough for 1.5 °C, and promised finance is often delayed; stronger and fair implementation is needed for these efforts to deliver a better future Earth.