Stories of change from Nepal’s peaks to plains

Himalayas to Ocean (H2O) was a multimedia project following the Gandaki river in Nepal from high up in the Himalayan peaks to hundreds of kilometres further downstream in the country’s floodplains. Along the way, it recounts the stories of those who live at the water’s edge – the women, men and children who rely on this vital resource for their daily survival – and the way their lives are inevitably tied to the fate of water in a changing climate.

At first glance, water is plentiful in Nepal. The country’s 6,000 rivers and its glaciers are major sources, ensuring a year-round water supply to millions of people in South Asia. Yet, the Himalayas are currently undergoing dramatic changes and are estimated to be warming considerably faster than the global average. At least one-third of the Himalayan glaciers are projected to disappear by the end of the century, even if we limit global temperatures to 1.5C above industrial levels.

However, the impacts of climate change in Nepal extend beyond the melting of iconic glaciers. Scientists warn of shifts in the hydrological cycle which could lead to more erratic monsoon rains and extreme rainfall events. Such changes are likely to contribute to an increase in natural disasters such as floods, landslides, droughts, springs drying up, fire and storms.

H2O aims to capture and present those changes, and to document what they mean for people living along the river, from peaks to plains. Explore the following four chapters, each highlighting different aspects of climate change: