IWRA Proceedings

Nepal’s geography has unique features. As the crow flies, about 150 kms from north to south the country covers about six geological and climatic belts varying in altitude from above 8,000 m to just 95 msl (mean sea level): the Tibetan plateau, the high Himalaya, the midland hills, the Mahabharat Lekh (range), the Chure and the Tarai. In addition the presence of valleys and terraces in between further confirms its uniqueness. Indeed the landscape of Nepal covers 118 ecosystems, with 75 vegetation types and 35 forest types. In this paper we refer to this landscape as the Himalayan mountain system (HMS). Broadly HMS consists of three ecological zones: high mountains (35% of Nepal’s area), middle mountains (42% of total area), and the lower altitude Chure/Tarai range (23% of total area).

Land-locked, Nepal is one of the poorest countries in the world (per capita income of US$ 472). Of the country’s 30 million population 25% lives below the poverty line which varies across geographic location, caste and gender. Poverty is higher in rural areas (35%) compared to urban areas (10%) and particularly severe in the mountains. Almost 66 % of the population is dependent on agriculture, and the agriculture sector contributes 35% to the GDP. These features suggest that Nepal is a country with “development deficit”: access to drinking water, basic health, energy, education, transportation services is poor, and historical, social, and geo-political factors impose constraints on improving them. Climate change has added a new layer of stress. The impact of global warming will lead to impacts on Nepal with its many snow, glaciers, regional hydrological systems and their sub processes as the climate system becomes more unpredictable due to increase in average global temperature.