A large number of cow and goat farmers in Nepal face a high risk from the impacts of climate change, a government study has revealed.
According to a recent study conducted by the National Agricultural Environment Research Center, 500,000 household farmers engaged in goat farming are at extreme risk due to climate change. Additionally, 1 million goat-farming households are at high risk, while another 1 million face moderate risk. The center operates under the National Agricultural Research Council (NARC).
Similarly, 300,000 cow-farming households are at extreme risk. Another 1 million households are at high risk, and an additional 1 million are at moderate risk.
“The Himalayan region is experiencing rising temperatures compared to previous years, which has led to a decline in milk production in cows,” said Dr. Roshanbabu Ojha, a scientist at the center, during a program on Tuesday. He noted that the risk is increasing because climate adaptation technologies have not yet reached farmers.
Cow and goat farmers are particularly vulnerable due to the lack of adaptation measures, whereas buffalo farmers face relatively lower risks. While rice- and wheat-farming households are not categorized as high-risk, they face significant medium-level risks, the study stated.
Climate Change Shifting Agricultural Production
The study highlights that climate change is impacting agricultural production, with crops traditionally grown in the Terai now being cultivated in the hill regions. Mango trees are flowering earlier, and crops once exclusive to the hills are now growing in the Terai, indicating shifts in production patterns.
“This shift suggests a potential decline in productivity,” said agricultural scientist Dr. Dhruvraj Bhattarai. The Terai region is particularly vulnerable, as even a slight temperature rise of 0.5°C can significantly impact crop yields.
Due to increasing climate change effects, this winter saw lower-than-usual rainfall, which is expected to reduce winter crop production by up to 30 percent, Bhattarai added.
According to the study, climate-related disasters in Nepal have been rising by 17 percent annually since 1970, with the rate accelerating after 2000. The findings indicate that Nepal’s temperature is increasing by 0.06°C per year, while annual rainfall is decreasing by 16.09 millimeters.
