Ramesh Prasad Bhatt

By Ramesh Prasad Bhatt

Nepal has endowed high potential of water resources, covering 395,000 ha (48%) area within 45,000 km in length of 6000 rivers with 170 billion m3 annual runoff and 45,610 MW feasible hydroelectricity generation. Since 1911, 500 kW power generation at Pharping, now reached 782.45 MW production in 2016. Nepal government has planned to increase its current 67.3% access in electricity to 1426 MW (87%), by 2022. Globally, 16.6% generation of hydroelectricity, 1,079 GW production, in 2015 will be increased to 1,473 GW by 2040 as projected. Although, hydropower is considered as a renewable clean energy, dam closure, influence within the downstream river and connected ecosystems have consequent impacts on hydropower production. Nepal’s topography offered more RoR types of hydropower and has more risk of landslide, flooding, GLOFs, LDOFs, and flash floods. Despite, Nepal contributes 0.027% of total global Green House Gas (GHG) emissions; Nepal has focused on renewable energy, hydropower production, targeting 12000 MW by 2030 to fulfill its growing demand of 11,500 MW. Consequent development of clean energy, GHG reduction, single Bhotekoshi hydropower can reduce 160092 tons CO2/year. The energy-related CO2 emissions increased 43.2 billion metric tons by 2040 globally, which can be reduced through promotion of clean energy.

Part of the book: Renewable Hydropower Technologies

By Ramesh Prasad Bhatt

Climate change impacts and implications towards ecosystems and biodiversity, water resources, food production, and infrastructures can be mitigated through adapting, reducing or avoiding adverse impacts and maximizing positive consequences. It can have numerous effects on the world’s natural ecosystems and their functions. IPCC projections showed approximately 10% of species to be at an increasing high risk of extinction for every 1 °C rise in global mean temperature and recommended to limit global temperatures below 1.5 °C. To identify consequences of climate change, impacts, and implications, data collected from different sources, reviewed, assessed and analyzed, discussing dimensional impacts and mitigation strategies adopted. Nepal’s 118 major ecosystems and 75 vegetation types with 44.74% forestland comprising 0.1% of global landmass harboring 3.2% flora and 1.1% fauna of the world’s biodiversity critically influenced by the regional climate change and intervention of developmental projects. Since 2000, Nepal lost forest area by 2.1% including several endangered and threatened species. Nepal is highly vulnerable towards natural disasters like GLOF, Glacier retreat, flooding, landslide and global warming. Therefore, it is crucial to plan climate resilience infrastructures adopting effective environmental management tools, formulation of strong plan, policy and strategy, mitigation of greenhouse gases, climate resilient adaptation and restoration of degraded ecosystems.

Part of the book: Climate Change in Asia and Africa

By Ramesh Prasad Bhatt

Forest and vegetation play an important role in balancing ecosystem patterns, providing food security, and blessing the environment for living beings, so the status of global forests and biodiversity, their impact and change overtime with climatic effects and challenges is important. This study’s methods include a review of global forest cover and status; distribution, and assessment; biodiversity, forest carbon assessment; causes of forest loss; and the impacts and implications of CO2 emissions. Forests encompass 31% of the world’s forests, are home to 2 million to 1 trillion species, and provide habitat for 80% of amphibian species, 75% of bird species, 68% of mammalian species, and so on. Deforestation is the major cause of forest loss, with a decrease of 4.7 million ha. From 2010 to 2020, only in the Asia Pacific region and from 2000 to 2010, 13 million ha of world forests were lost. All flora, fauna, and microbes are slowly degrading and disappearing due to human activities such as deforestation, intensive use, inappropriate forest management, agriculture, encroachment of forest land, slash burn practices, forest fires, urbanization, overharvesting, environmental deterioration, etc. Because the globe has emitted over 1.5 trillion tonnes of CO2 since 1751, the persistence of biodiversity in human-modified habitats is crucial for conservation and the provision of ecosystem services.

Part of the book: Vegetation Dynamics, Changing Ecosystems and Human Responsibility