Environmental Changes and Challenges of Tarai and Siwalik of Nepal

Abstract

Nepal, a country in Central Nepal, has an elevational range of 60-8848 m in an average 180 km north-south distance. The lowland (Tarai and Siwalik) in southern part of the country is quite close to the tropical zone, which once had rich and well-known forest and wildlife area in Asia, but it has been tremendously transformed into an agricultural landscape in the second half of the last century. As a result of anthropogenic interventions, the lowland has witnessed changes in demography, land use pattern, forest, and biodiversity. In the past four decades, variability in climate has become evident, and temperature rise and erratic rain patterns have been recorded. Food security has become a challenging issue. Almost all districts in the tropical zone are vulnerable to climate risk and hazards, and a few districts in Tarai and Siwalik are the most vulnerable in the country. The lowland zone has not yet received due attention for ecological restoration and sustainable development, particularly in central and eastern Nepal. Strong political will, sound environment and development policies, and effective implementation are direly needed to maintain ecological balance with development.