With adverse effect of climate change in the whole world, with realization that environmental

problems are contributed more or less by all the states and are concern of all and with due

consideration that these problems can only be solved by the international cooperation, in this paper

we will make an effort to understand what, why, who and how dimensions of climate change.

What is climate change?

One of the substantial outcome of Rio conference made in 1992, which is entitled as United Nation

Framework Convention on Climate Change has made an attempt to define climate change. Under

its Article 2, it defines climate change as “change in climate which is attributed directly or

indirectly to human activity that alters the composition of the global atmosphere and which is in

addition to natural climate variability observed over comparable time periods. The

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in regards to climate change suggests that it includes

change due to natural variability alongside human activity. Both of these definitions have aptly

presented that the climate change is contributed by the anthropogenic interference in climatic

system and such change is visible in times to come by.

Contributors and effect of climate change

Increased concentration of Carbon Dioxide, Methane, Nitrous Oxide and Fluorinated gases are

found to be the fundamental cause of increasing globe’s temperature which is largely contributed

by fewer developed nation like China, USA, Russia with developing country like India.

For the purpose of understanding the effect of climate change, it would be most appropriate to take

instances of effects in coastal states. Direct and most negative impact from the climate change can

be evidenced in coastal states like Kiribati, Marshall, Tuvalu, Maldives and others.
Due to rapid melting of snow with increase in temperature, sea level is rising at rapid pace. It is

believed that sea level has raised 8 inches since 1880. Some scientists even predicts that with the

continuation of this situation, sea level can rise around 1.4 meters by 2100.

As of one of the videos by United Nations Development Program, climate change in Kiribati has

introduced problems of erosion letting destruction of human houses leaving these vulnerable

population to seek resettlement. This consequences to production of humungous number of climate

refugees with great plight.

These coastal states are severely affected by salination because of high tides which destroys the

agricultural products and decreasing productivity of land. Not limited to this, sea under higher

temperature and acidification is unfavorable to the ecosystem present there harshly affecting the

flora and fauna as well as people dependent to such ecosystem for their livelihood.

As according to World Wide Fund Nature, climate change is advancing in high Himalayas. This

implies that Nepal is also not different to problems of Climate change. Same site states that “Nepal

is more vulnerable than many countries to climate change because of factors such as high poverty

and low adaptive capacity” with problems of more erratic rainfall, flash flooding, drought, forest

fire, and landslides.

Efforts to solve problems of climate change

Though scientists notified about the climatic change that would outlead in near future in early

……, it was not until year 1985 that state came together to make legal framework duly considering

the effects of ozone layer depletion named Vienna Convention for the Protection of Ozone Layer.

Further, it was supplemented by Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete Ozone Layer in

1987. In 1992, Earth Summit popularly known as Rio Conference incorporated issues of climate
change. One of the major outcomes among four others from the Rio Conference is the United

Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change with its additional Kyoto Protocol relating to

address the issues of climate breakdown. Several Resolutions were also sanctioned time and again

by United Nation General Assembly so as to address the problems of climate change.

Vienna Convention demands common responsibility of states to co-operate and take measures so

as to protect human health and environment brought up by the modification or which is likely to

modify ozone layer. Further, it sets the requirement of sharing technology and knowledge among

contracting parties obtained through research and systematic observation maintained under Article

3 of this very convention. Supplementary to this convention is Montreal protocol, which expressly

lists substances in to Group 1 and Group 2 that depletes ozone layer and acknowledges the

precautions to be taken to deduce the substance depleting ozone layer or which has potential to do

so. It provides time frame for states to decrease in consumption and production of substances that

are to be controlled at different percentage. This protocol also favors developing nation with

flexibility to decrease the consumption and production of controlled substances enlisted in Annex

A by extending the time period to do so with the transfer of technology.

UNFCCC is core in regards to efforts taken to recognize climate issues. Preamble of the convention

exhibits the excessive concentration of Green House Gases in atmosphere contributing in global

warming directly affecting costal states with increase in sea- level. The fact that emission of large

amount of GHG made by developed state is expressed in the preamble as well. It incorporates

fundamental principles in environment such as duty not to cause transboundary harm at par with

right of sovereignty to exploit resources, responsibility to take precautions even in absence of

scientific certainties, adherence to development integrating environmental concerns i.e.

sustainable development.
Central to the convention is concept of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective

capabilities. This principle enshrined in the convention vividly presents that environment

protection is common responsibility to all the states but degree of protection responsibility varies

with developed and developing countries and with their capabilities. Differentiated responsibility

denotes that contribution in concentration of GHG’s by developed country is much higher than the

state that is developing, thus has more responsibility to deduce the emission of GHG gases. CBDR

is inclined to developing country in a sense that it puts responsibility on developed nation to

transfer technology and financial support to developing nations so as to cope with the requirement

of the convention.

Kyoto protocol to UNFCCC maintains two Annexes. Annex 1 sets substances that are to be

deduced that adds up in the concentration of GHG’s in atmosphere along with sectors and sources

from where it is mostly produced. Annex 2 reflects commitment of states to deduces such

substances. The rate for each states to deduce emission of GHG’s is different as presented in the

protocol.

Recent effort can be traced from Paris Agreement under UNFCCC adopted by 195 parties in 21st

conference in Paris in 12TH December, 2015. The agreement concerned significant deduction of

emission and targeted to reduce average global temperature below 2 degree Celsius and further to

1.5 degree Celsius. In relation to this agreement, discontent peaked when President Donald Trump

decided to withdrew United States from this agreement in circumstances which strongly demanded

for the due consideration of environment.

With these legal frameworks, there are other several governmental and non- governmental

organizations advocating for the protection of earth’s climatic system. Significant UN bodies like

High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development, Commission on Sustainable

Development (CSD), Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), UN Forum on Forests

are important to stand for protection of our environment.

Nepal’s commitment in relation to climate change

Nepal is party to UNFCCC and its additional protocol. In conformity to the international

obligation, it has framed climate change policy namely National Adaptation Program of Action

and Local Adaptation Program of Action with top to bottom and bottom to top approach

respectively. LAPA is implemented with the aid of Nepal Climate Change Support Program in

remote portions of Nepal.