Melting Mountains and Drowning Valleys: Climate Change as a threat to Nepal’s Environmental and Socio-Economic Stability

Abstract

Nepal’s rapidly changing climate has exposed a fragile intersection between environmental degradation and socio‑economic vulnerability. The melting glaciers, erratic rainfall, and recurrent floods threaten the ecosystems, livelihoods, and infrastructure. It makes climate change an ecological challenge as well as a national security issue. This article explores these changes through two complementary theoretical lenses, environmental security and resilience theory, using only secondary data and conceptual analysis. The environmental security framework shows how ecological stress turns into social and economic instability in countries where governance capacity remains limited. Resilience theory emphasizes the adaptive processes that can enable systems to absorb shocks and reorganize without collapsing. When we apply it to Nepal, these perspectives reveal a paradox. National policies such as the Climate Change Policy (2019), Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0 (2025), and National Adaptation Plan (2021) signify growing institutional commitment, yet implementation continues to be constrained by centralized decision making, fragmented coordination, and insufficient local capacity. This paper argues that resilience in Nepal depends on integrating climate adaptation into development planning, decentralizing climate finance, and strengthening community‑based ecosystem management. Although this article is limited to secondary datasets and policy analysis, it delves into climate change as a multifaceted problem that impacts both environmental and socio‑economic stability. Ultimately, the study reframes climate change in Nepal as both a developmental and governance challenge, one that demands adaptive institutions, inclusive participation, and transformative policy reform to safeguard environmental and socio‑economic security.