--- title: "Current environmental issues: Nepal vs global" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 4 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:nepal-vs-global-env-issues" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/nepal-vs-global-env-issues site: BCT Engineering --- # Current environmental issues: Nepal vs global Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 4: Environment - Asked in: 2076 Chaitra, 8 marks - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/nepal-vs-global-env-issues - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-4 ## Question What are current environmental issues? Compare the environmental issues of Nepal to global issues. ## Short answer Current global issues are climate change, ozone depletion, air and water pollution, deforestation, and biodiversity loss. Nepal faces similar issues plus landslides, GLOF, and riverbed mining. Global problems stem from industrialization and overconsumption; Nepal’s arise more from poverty and poor planning, and it suffers disproportionately from climate change despite negligible emissions. ## Answer **Current environmental issues** are present-day problems caused by human activities that damage air, water, land, climate and living beings, and threaten health and development. #### Current global environmental issues 1. **Climate change and global warming** – due to greenhouse gases from fossil fuels, deforestation and agriculture. 2. **Ozone layer depletion** – CFCs and halons thinned the ozone layer (Antarctic ozone hole); controlled by the Montreal Protocol (1987). 3. **Air pollution** – vehicles, industry, coal power; about 7 million premature deaths per year (WHO estimate). 4. **Water pollution and scarcity** – sewage, industrial and agricultural chemicals; over 2 billion people lack safely managed drinking water. 5. **Deforestation** – especially tropical forests (Amazon, Congo, Southeast Asia). 6. **Loss of biodiversity** – habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, invasive species. 7. **Land degradation and desertification** – overgrazing, poor farming. 8. **Acid rain** – SO₂ and NOₓ from coal and vehicles. 9. **Waste and plastic pollution** – plastics in oceans, e-waste, hazardous waste. 10. **Population growth and over-consumption** – pressure on all resources. #### Current environmental issues of Nepal 1. **Deforestation and forest degradation** – illegal logging, fuelwood use, encroachment and road building. 2. **Soil erosion and landslides** – fragile young mountains, steep slopes, haphazard rural roads cut by bulldozers. 3. **Air pollution** – Kathmandu Valley often has PM2.5 far above WHO limits; sources: vehicles, brick kilns, dust, waste burning, forest fires. 4. **Water pollution** – untreated sewage and industrial waste in rivers (Bagmati, Bishnumati); contaminated drinking water; arsenic in Terai groundwater. 5. **Solid waste management** – open dumping; the Sisdol/Bancharedanda landfill problem in Kathmandu. 6. **Unplanned urbanisation** – loss of open space and farmland, traffic, noise. 7. **Climate change impacts** – glacier melt, GLOF risk, erratic rainfall, floods and droughts, drying springs. 8. **Loss of biodiversity** – poaching, habitat loss, invasive species. 9. **Riverbed mining** – excessive sand and gravel extraction (e.g. Chure region). 10. **Floods and disasters** – Terai floods, landslides, earthquakes. #### Comparison of Nepal's issues with global issues | Basis | Global issues | Nepal's issues | |---|---|---| | Main cause | Industrialisation, high consumption, fossil fuels | Poverty, population pressure, unplanned development | | Climate change role | Developed and large countries are main emitters | Nepal emits only ~0.03% but is highly vulnerable | | Air pollution | Industry and power plants | Vehicles, brick kilns, dust, biomass | | Water | Industrial and chemical pollution | Sewage, faecal contamination, arsenic | | Land | Desertification, mining | Landslides, erosion, riverbed mining | | Special risks | Sea-level rise, ozone hole | GLOF, glacier melt, earthquakes | | Forests | Tropical deforestation continuing | Forest cover increasing (~45%) due to community forestry | | Response capacity | High technology and finance | Limited money, technology and skills | **Similarities:** both face climate change, air and water pollution, waste and biodiversity loss. **Difference:** global problems come mainly from over-consumption and industry, while Nepal's come from poverty and poor planning, and Nepal suffers more from global problems it did not cause. Therefore Nepal needs both local action (laws, technology, awareness) and global support. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. How does the main cause of Nepal's environmental issues differ from global ones? A. Nepal's come from industrialisation, global ones from poverty B. Global ones come from over-consumption and industry; Nepal's from poverty, population pressure and poor planning C. Both come only from fossil fuels D. Both are purely natural Answer: B. The comparison table contrasts industrial/consumption causes globally with poverty and unplanned development in Nepal. (Key point: Main cause difference) 2. How does Nepal's forest trend compare with the global trend? A. Nepal has no forests left B. Nepal's forest cover is falling faster than tropical regions C. Tropical deforestation continues globally, while Nepal's forest cover is increasing (~45%) due to community forestry D. Both are increasing equally Answer: C. Community forestry has raised Nepal's forest cover even as tropical deforestation continues. (Key point: Forest trend) 3. Which special risks are specific to Nepal rather than global? A. Acid rain and plastics in oceans B. Desertification only C. Sea-level rise and ozone hole D. GLOF, glacier melt and earthquakes Answer: D. Nepal's special risks are GLOF, glacier melt and earthquakes; sea-level rise and the ozone hole are the global ones. (Key point: Special risks) 4. What is the key point about Nepal's role in climate change? A. Nepal emits ~0.1% but is highly vulnerable B. Nepal neither emits nor is affected C. Nepal emits as much as large countries D. Nepal is a main emitter and little affected Answer: A. Nepal suffers from a problem it hardly caused. (Key point: Climate role) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Nepal's environmental issues and global effort](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-env-issues-global-effort) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [Global and national environmental issues](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-and-nepal-env-issues) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4, asked 2× - [Global environmental issues: causes and consequences](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-env-issues-causes) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [Short note: Major global environmental issues](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Aglobal-env-issues-note) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [Nepal's immediate environmental issues and technology](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-env-issues-technology) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4, asked 2× - [Nepal's environmental issues and mitigation strategies](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Anepal-env-issues-strategies) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 4 ## Related in other subjects - [Importance of hydrology in Nepal, global water balance](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fengineering_hydrology%3Ahydrology-importance-global-balance) — Engineering Hydrology, chapter 1 - [EIA; environmental problems in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fproject_engineering%3Aeia-nepal-problems-improve) — Project Engineering, chapter 2 - [VoIP and IPI issues in Nepal](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_8%2Finternet_and_intranet%3Avoip-ipi-issues-nepal) — Internet and Intranet, chapter 7