Editing Himalayas (section)

==Climate-related concerns==
{{undue weight section|date=February 2025}}
{{geographical imbalance|date=February 2025}}
{{POV section|date=February 2025}}
Similar to the mountains, the communities living near the Himalayas are experiencing climate change and its negative impacts significantly more than other parts of the world.<ref name="Alexander K., et al. 2014">{{cite journal |last1=Gentle |first1=Popular |last2=Thwaites |first2=Rik |last3=Race |first3=Digby |last4=Alexander |first4=Kim |title=Differential impacts of climate change on communities in the middle hills region of Nepal |journal=Natural Hazards |date=November 2014 |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=815–836 |doi=10.1007/s11069-014-1218-0 |bibcode=2014NatHa..74..815G |hdl=1885/66271 |s2cid=129787080 |url=https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-014-1218-0 |language=en|hdl-access=free }}</ref> Some of the impacts that the communities are facing include erratic rainfall, flooding, rising temperatures, and landslides.<ref name="Alexander K., et al. 2014"/> These impacts can have extreme negative effects on the villages living in the area especially as the temperatures rise at higher rates than many other places in the world (Alexander et al., 2014). There are more than 1.9 million people who are highly vulnerable due to climate change with an additional 10 million people at risk in Nepal.<ref name="Alexander K., et al. 2014"/> Nepal is among the top ten most vulnerable Global South countries due to climate change in the world, standing at number 4 as of 2010 according to the climate change risk atlas.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Agrawal |first1=A |last2=Perrin |first2=N |title=Climate adaptation, local institutions and rural livelihoods |date=2008 |publisher=IFRI Working Paper # W081-6 |location=University of Michigan, Michigan |pages= 350–367}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Maple Croft |title=Climate Risk Dataset |url=http://maplecroft.com/about/news/ccvi.html |language=en}}</ref> According to NAPA (National Adaptation Program of Action) of Nepal, many threats including floods, droughts, and landslides are an imminent threat to the glacial lake area.<ref name="auto">{{cite web |author=Government of Nepal |title=Climate Change Policy, 2011. |publisher=Ministry of Environment, Government of Nepal, Kathmandu |url=https://policy.asiapacificenergy.org/node/2700 }}</ref> With this in consideration, climate change policy and framework for LAPA (Local Adaptation Plans of Action) were prepared in 2011 primarily focusing on addressing climatic hazards.<ref name="auto"/>

===Health impacts===
[[File:Ghandruk an Annapurna South.jpg|thumb|View of Ghandruk village in Nepal]]
Local communities are suffering from food scarcity and malnutrition as well as an increasing risk to diseases such as malaria and dengue fever as temperatures rise and allow these diseases to migrate further north.<ref name="journals.openedition.org">{{cite journal |last1=Devkota |first1=Fidel |title=Climate Change and its socio-cultural impact in the Himalayan region of Nepal – A Visual Documentation |journal=Anthrovision. Vaneasa Online Journal |date=1 August 2013 |volume=1 |issue=2 |doi=10.4000/anthrovision.589 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/anthrovision/589 }}</ref> There is also an increasing risk of water borne illnesses accompanied by an increasing lack of safe drinking water.<ref name="journals.openedition.org"/> Illness is not the only danger to the communities as temperatures sky rocket. With the climate changing weather patterns are also changing and more extreme weather events are occurring putting local communities more at risk to physical harm and death during erratic weather events.<ref>{{cite journal |doi=10.4000/anthrovision.589 |title=Climate Change and its socio-cultural impact in the Himalayan region of Nepal – A Visual Documentation |date=2013 |last1=Devkota |first1=Fidel |journal=Anthrovision |volume=1 |issue=2 |url=https://journals.openedition.org/anthrovision/589 }}</ref> Marginalized groups including children and women are experiencing more severe impacts from climate change and are often more exposed to disease and injury.<ref name="journals.openedition.org"/> Over the last couple years these health impacts have gotten increasingly worse and more common. Recent studies have shown that dengue fever has had a consistent pattern of epidemic in Nepal in the years 2010, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022 with the largest in terms of severity occurring in 2022.<ref name="Three Climate and Health Lessons fr">{{cite journal |last1=Rublee |first1=Caitlin |last2=Bhatta |first2=Bishnu |last3=Tiwari |first3=Suresh |last4=Pant |first4=Suman |title=Three Climate and Health Lessons from Nepal Ahead of COP28 |journal=NAM Perspectives |date=29 November 2023 |volume=11 |issue=29 |doi=10.31478/202311f|pmid=38784635 |s2cid=265597908 |pmc=11114597 }}</ref> 54,784 reported cases were recorded from all 77 districts in seven provinces.<ref name="Three Climate and Health Lessons fr"/> These diseases are simply in addition to other diseases that can be seen with the rise of global temperatures and air pollution. Many vulnerable groups are experiencing an increase in respiratory illness, cardiac illnesses, and asthma.<ref name="eesi.org">{{cite web |last1=Berstrand |first1=s |title=Fact Sheet {{!}} Climate, Environmental, and Health Impacts of Fossil Fuels (2021) {{!}} White Papers {{!}} EESI |url=https://www.eesi.org/papers/view/fact-sheet-climate-environmental-and-health-impacts-of-fossil-fuels-2021 |website=www.eesi.org}}</ref> The heat can lead to issues such as a strain on respiratory illnesses, heat stroke, and fever.<ref name="eesi.org"/> There is also the increased risk of cancer.<ref name="eesi.org"/> Many lower income communities such as the himalayan villages suffer from exposure to more pollution or in some cases exposure to toxic chemicals which has led to an increased rate of cancer in these communities as well as an increased risk of death.<ref name="eesi.org"/>

===Agricultural impacts===
[[File:Mustang-Kagbeni-01d-von Norden-Kali Gandaki-2015-gje.jpg|thumb|View of [[Kagbeni, Mustang|Kagbeni]] village in Nepal]]
The increasing temperatures are also leading to a decrease in territory for local wildlife. This trend has decreased the prey populations of at-risk predators, such as snow leopards. Seeking alternative food sources, snow leopards and other predators attack local farmers' livestock. This livestock consists of yaks, oxen, horses, and goats.<ref name="Snow leopard Panthera uncia predati">{{cite journal |last1=Oli |first1=Madan K. |last2=Taylor |first2=Iain R. |last3=Rogers |first3=M. Elizabeth |title=Snow leopard Panthera uncia predation of livestock: An assessment of local perceptions in the Annapurna Conservation Area, Nepal |journal=Biological Conservation |date=1 January 1994 |volume=68 |issue=1 |pages=63–68 |doi=10.1016/0006-3207(94)90547-9 |bibcode=1994BCons..68...63O }}</ref> Snow leopards have killed about 2.6% of the local livestock per year in response to their shrinking habitat.<ref name="Snow leopard Panthera uncia predati"/> The overall loss, about a quarter of the average income of local farmers, has had a major impact on the local economy.<ref name="Snow leopard Panthera uncia predati"/> In retaliation, farmers have begun killing snow leopards, seeking to protect their livestock and their livelihoods.<ref name="Snow leopard Panthera uncia predati"/>

===Policy changes===
Nepal is a part of the Paris agreement and thus is required to have a climate action plan and is being tracked by the Climate Action Tracker.<ref name="Nepal">{{cite web |title=Nepal |url=https://climateactiontracker.org/countries/nepal/ |website=climateactiontracker.org |language=en}}</ref> According to the Climate Action Tracker, Nepal is "almost sufficient" on its track to reach the goals set by the Paris Agreement.<ref name="Nepal"/> There are two factors that hold Nepal back from reaching sufficient status and thus stand out.<ref name="Nepal"/> There is no Climate Finance Plan and emissions and temperature rising rate ranking at critically insufficient.<ref name="Nepal"/> Nepal has many goals, however, that are on track with the Paris Agreement.<ref name="Nepal"/> The first of note being a goal of net-zero emissions by 2045.<ref name="Nepal"/> To reach this goal Nepal submitted two separate plans to account for whatever future they experience the first being WAM (with additional measures) and the second being WEM (with existing measures).<ref name="Nepal"/> WEM is based primarily on already existing policies and highlights the energy sector as the main target for CO2 reduction.<ref name="Nepal"/> The WAM scenario introduces a far more ambitious strategy for reducing emissions.<ref name="Nepal"/> In this scenario the focus is primarily on an intervention method and disruption of the energy sector reducing the use of fossil fuels and the incorporation of renewable energy sources. This pathway heavily relies on reducing emissions from energy sources while preserving the carbon-absorbing capacity of the LULUCF (Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry) sector.<ref name="Nepal"/> Under this scenario, it is anticipated that net CO2 emissions will remain negative from 2020 to 2030, approach 'zero' between 2035 and 2045, and then revert to negative values by 2050.<ref name="Nepal"/> The goal of this scenario is to accelerate the journey toward achieving carbon neutrality before 2045.<ref name="Nepal"/> These policies along with many more have Nepal on track to stay beneath the 1.5 threshold set by the Paris Agreement.<ref name="Nepal"/>

In May 2025 the representatives of himalayan nations, experts met in [[Nepal]] for the first "Sagarmatha Sambaad" (Everest Dialog) about stopping climate change and its effects on the region. Minister Deuba remarked “Climate change is a global crisis transcending national boundaries. Nothing less than a global alliance based on [[climate justice|justice]] and solidarity can hope to make a dent on the existential crisis that climate change brings in its wake”.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Giri |first1=Anil |title=Sagarmatha Sambaad opens with global call for climate action |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2025/05/17/sagarmatha-sambaad-opens-with-global-call-for-climate-action |access-date=19 May 2025 |agency=The Kathmandu Post |date=17 May 2025}}</ref> The [[United Nations]] leader send a message to the conference in which he reminded that [[Retreat of glaciers since 1850|glaciers giving water to rivers are metling]] in a fast and increasing rate and "reduced water flow in river systems such as the [[ Ganges|Ganges]], [[Brahmaputra River|Brahmaputra]] and [[Indus River|Indus]] threatens not only water but also food production for nearly two billion people across South Asia".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Mishra |first1=Vibhu |title=‘On thin ice’: UN chief sounds alarm over rapid Himalayan glacier melt |url=https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/05/1163376 |website=United Nations |access-date=19 May 2025}}</ref> The conference issued a "Sagarmatha Call for Action" to protect the region from climate change. One of the proposals is a common [[Climate finance|climate fund]] for Himalayan nations. [[Climate Science|Climate experts]] criticized the outcomes, saying that the real challenge is to implement the decisions. Also the conference only addressed the issue of glacier melt, while in recent times, [[climate migration]] due to lack of rainfall also became a major concern.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Poudel |first1=Purushottam |title=Sagarmatha Sambaad ends with urgent call to save the mountains |url=https://kathmandupost.com/climate-environment/2025/05/19/sagarmatha-sambaad-ends-with-urgent-call-to-save-the-mountains |access-date=19 May 2025 |agency=The Kathmandu Post |date=19 May 2025}}</ref>

===Local adaptation===
[[File:Garhwal Himal from Camels Back (5281754856).jpg|thumb|[[Garhwal Himalayas]] in the Indian state of [[Uttarakhand]]]]
[[File:View of the Lakir Monastery.JPG|thumb|[[Likir Monastery]] in [[Ladakh]]]]
In recent years many citizens of these Himalayan communities have started to notice the extreme effects of climate change by experiencing nature itself.<ref name="Climate change and the Western Hima">{{cite journal |last1=Das |first1=Suraj |last2=Mishra |first2=Anindya Jayanta |title=Climate change and the Western Himalayan community: Exploring the local perspective through food choices |journal=Ambio |date=1 March 2023 |volume=52 |issue=3 |pages=534–545 |doi=10.1007/s13280-022-01810-3 |pmid=36480087 |pmc=9735043 |bibcode=2023Ambio..52..534D }}</ref> They have noticed a decrease in precipitation especially in lowland districts, fluctuating temperatures during months of the year that are typically cooler, and changes in weather patterns even compared to early 2000s weather.<ref name="Climate change and the Western Hima"/> Many local villagers have identified climate change simply through the availability of certain native plants decreasing or shifting seasons.<ref name="Climate change and the Western Hima"/> The concept of climate change has now been aligned with the risk of natural disasters and has increased awareness in the local communities.<ref name="Climate change and the Western Hima"/> These impacts of climate change have greatly affected agriculture in the area and has forced farmers to change crops and when they plant them.<ref name="Climate change and the Western Hima"/> In response to this rather than push for policy change, citizens have begun to adapt to climate change.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg">{{cite journal |last1=Dhungana |first1=Nabin |last2=Silwal |first2=Nisha |last3=Upadhaya |first3=Suraj |last4=Khadka |first4=Chiranjeewee |last5=Regmi |first5=Sunil Kumar |last6=Joshi |first6=Dipesh |last7=Adhikari |first7=Samjhana |title=Rural coping and adaptation strategies for climate change by Himalayan communities in Nepal |journal=Journal of Mountain Science |date=1 June 2020 |volume=17 |issue=6 |pages=1462–1474 |doi=10.1007/s11629-019-5616-3 |bibcode=2020JMouS..17.1462D |s2cid=219281555 }}</ref> According to Dhungana, 91.94% of the respondents experienced drought as major climatic hazards then floods at 83.87%, landslides at 70.97%, and forest fires at 67.74%.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> In response to this citizens have begun adapting and adopting new practices.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> As a response to drought at the high altitudes, plantations are planting more protective trees, drought resistant plants, and have begun adopting irrigation practices drawing from nearby streams.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> In response to flooding, farmers have created more basins, dam construction, and small drainage canals.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/>

The response to landslides includes plantation grasses in previously barren areas, Gabion wall construction, avoiding livestock grazing in landslide-prone areas, and a prohibition on tillage in areas at risk of landslides.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> To fight the increased rate of forest fires, citizens have begun beating the fires with green branches and mud, construction of fire lines, and are raising awareness about the wildfires.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> Fire lines are lines of varying width built through the leaf litter of a forest floor down to the soil and minerals to prevent a spread of fire past the line.<ref>{{cite web |last1=BMP |title=Fire Lines and Lanes. |url=http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agcomm/pubs/for/for67/bmp12.pdf |publisher=BMP No. 12, Fire Lines and Lanes}}</ref> The main reason for these adaptations is to decrease the risk that climate change poses over these marginalized communities while taking advantage of the moment and allowing for a positive change towards a more sustainable or adaptable future.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/> Major barriers to these adaptations include a lack of funds, a lack of knowledge, a lack of technology, a lack of time, and lack of mandatory policy.<ref name="Rural coping and adaptation strateg"/>