Climate Disasters in Nepal, Afghanistan, India and Pakistan

Shalinee Kumari

Shalinee Kumari

Over the past two weeks, Nepal has witnessed record-breaking rainfall in its capital city of Kathmandu. Floods and landslides have left more than 200 people dead. The loss is profound – homes, bridges and roads have been ravaged. Nepal’s unique geography makes it especially vulnerable to the harsh realities of climate change, intensifying the risk to its communities.

While Kathmandu dealt with the disasters, our South Asia managing editor Omair Ahmad was in Nepal attending a conference. One of the key discussions was how the adaptation experiences of Indigenous communities are often ignored in climate research. In this Kathmandu diary, he notes that experts have underlined that scientific research should seriously engage with traditional knowledge to not only respond to climate disasters but also understand the lived experiences of the local communities which can better inform climate strategies. The piece also looks at how in Nepal’s context, traditional knowledge can be blended into urban development as the country moves towards an electric future.

Climate disasters are also wreaking havoc in rural Afghanistan. The water infrastructure in the country has crumbled, forcing people, many of them children, to wait hours for private tankers. This report by Ruchi Kumar highlights that water scarcity has caused water-related diseases and malnutrition in more than 3.2 million children and 840,000 pregnant and lactating women. Experts note that changes in snowfall patterns are altering surface water availability. Under a pariah regime since 2021, the country has been shunned by the international community and excluded from vital climate discussions and funding opportunities that could help build resilience.

In India, climate impacts paint another troubling picture. Dairy farmers are struggling as their buffaloes are hit by a bacterial disease called haemorrhagic septicaemia. The disease thrives in moist and humid conditions. Increased temperatures and intense rainfall caused by climate change are creating favourable environments for the spread of the disease. Sneha Richhariya reports that this is having a serious impact on the country’s milk production. Intensified heat and humidity also put animals under stress, affect the production of their fodder and cause water scarcity. For farmers, the stakes are high because this also means lower incomes for them, many of whom depend entirely on dairy for their livelihoods.

In Pakistan’s Balochistan, extensive infrastructure investments are being made through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor despite intensifying insurgency and growing resentment among local communities, writes Atika Rehman. While the reality on the ground paints a grim picture of significant financial and security risks, policymakers from Pakistan and China remain committed to the project.

(Shalinee Kumari, South Asia editorial assistant, India. Dialogue Earth, South Asia Edition)