Nepal least responsible but most affected

Nepal contributes only a tiny share of global greenhouse gas emissions (about 0.03%, with per-person emissions far below the world average), yet it is ranked among the countries most vulnerable to climate change. This is a clear case of climate injustice.

Why Nepal is least responsible

• Low industrialisation; very little coal or heavy industry.
• Electricity comes almost entirely from hydropower, a renewable source.
• Per-capita energy use and vehicle ownership are low.
• About 45% of land is under forest, which acts as a carbon sink (community forestry).
• Historically, the CO₂ that is warming the world today was emitted mostly by industrialised countries since the Industrial Revolution.

Why Nepal is most affected

1. Fragile Himalayan geography: young, steep mountains prone to landslides and erosion.
2. Faster warming at altitude: temperature in Nepal's mountains is rising faster than the global average.
3. Glacier melt and GLOF risk: glaciers are retreating; lakes like Tsho Rolpa and Imja are growing.
4. Monsoon dependence: about 80% of rainfall falls in the monsoon; erratic rain causes floods (e.g. Melamchi 2021) and droughts.
5. Agriculture-based economy: most people depend on rain-fed farming, so crop failure directly hits food security.
6. Hydropower and water: changes in river flow threaten the main energy source; springs are drying in the hills.
7. Health and biodiversity: dengue and malaria spreading to the hills; species moving upward.
8. Low adaptive capacity: poverty, weak infrastructure and limited finance and technology make recovery hard.

Nepal has therefore raised the voice of mountain countries and LDCs at the UNFCCC, prepared NAPA (2010), LAPA and the National Adaptation Plan (2021), and seeks climate finance and loss-and-damage support while committing to net-zero emissions by 2045.