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Nepal’s children are facing increasingly severe risks to their health, development, and future as the impacts of climate change intensify across the country. Despite contributing only 0.1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions, Nepal ranks as the fourth most vulnerable nation to climate change, according to the Global Climate Risk Index. Rising temperatures, erratic rainfall, shrinking snow caps, and extreme weather events are no longer distant warnings—they are now disrupting the lives of millions of children nationwide.

Data from the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) show that Nepal’s annual maximum temperature is increasing by 0.056°C per year. This seemingly small rise has serious implications, especially for mountain ecosystems, where even a 1.5°C increase can drastically alter the environment. The visible effects include reduced snowfall, shifting precipitation patterns, and more frequent and intense disasters such as floods, landslides, and droughts.

These climate changes are having direct and devastating consequences for children. According to UNICEF, over 236,000 children in Nepal were displaced by weather-related disasters between 2016 and 2022, with 95 percent of those displacements caused by flooding. In 2024 alone, more than 23,000 students saw their education disrupted by climate-related events. Meanwhile, over 10m children are at risk from vector-borne diseases that are becoming more prevalent as temperatures rise and rainfall becomes erratic. Water scarcity affects another 8m children, further compounding their vulnerability.

The impacts are not limited to physical health. Psychological trauma, educational disruption, and the erosion of essential services are affecting children’s cognitive and emotional development. Climate-related stressors are increasingly linked to mental health issues such as anxiety, especially among youth. A UNICEF-supported survey found that more than half of children and youth living in climate risk-prone areas in Nepal have already experienced at least one form of climate-induced hazard, and four out of five believe they are at future risk. Half of the victims of climate-induced deaths and injuries in six of Nepal’s most climate-vulnerable municipalities were children or youth.

Air pollution, exacerbated by changing weather patterns and urban growth, has become another deadly threat. In 2021, more than 4,000 children under the age of five died in Nepal due to pollution-related causes as per UNICEF Global Health Estimates, 2022. These deaths are especially tragic because they are largely preventable through cleaner energy sources and improved public awareness.

Young children are particularly vulnerable to environmental hazards because of their physiology and behavior. Between birth and age three, 80 percent of brain development occurs. During this time, children’s immune systems are not yet fully developed, making them more susceptible to diseases. They also consume more air, food, and water per unit of body weight than adults, which increases their exposure to environmental toxins. Their natural behaviors—such as crawling and putting objects in their mouths—also place them at higher risk of ingesting pollutants in soil, water, and air.

Beyond immediate health impacts, the longer-term consequences of climate change include undernutrition due to declining agricultural productivity, the spread of disease, loss of livelihood, and eventual migration. These factors together fuel cycles of poverty, inequality, and deprivation that extend far beyond the childhood years, creating intergenerational consequences for Nepal’s most vulnerable communities.

UNICEF warns that nearly 66 percent of young people in Nepal are unable to clearly explain what climate change is, even though about half report feeling extremely worried about their future because of it. This gap between awareness and understanding underscores the urgent need for climate education, child-centered policies, and stronger adaptation measures across all levels of government and society.

As the climate crisis accelerates, Nepal’s children are increasingly paying the price, say the experts. “Their exposure to both immediate and long-term risks requires urgent action—ranging from better health protections and safer learning environments to stronger disaster preparedness and climate literacy.”

At least 120 people are feared dead after an Air India flight carrying 242 passengers crashed near Ahmedabad Airport, Hindustan Times reported.

The plane, en-route to London, crashed in a residential area, five minutes after taking off from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Airport in Gujarat.

Air India Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London crashed shortly after take-off on Thursday (June 12, 2025) afternoon from Ahmedabad, The Hindu reported.

The flight had 242 people on board. Reports from the state medical association noted that the aircraft crashed directly on the BJ Medical College UG hostel mess in Meghani Nagar.

The Federation of All India Medical Associations (FAIMA) claimed students were present at the hostel mess at the time of the crash. Images shared by FAIMA show a part of the plane stuck in the building of the hostel, which could be seen to have suffered damages.

An official confirmation from the State Government is awaited with details about the medical and medical college staff injured in the accident, according to The Hindu.

Air India flight AI171, en route from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, crashed minutes after take-off with 242 passengers onboard, The Hindustan Times reported.

Air India has confirmed that flight AI171, from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, that crashed minutes after take-off this afternoon had 242 passengers and crew members on board. Of these, 169 were Indian nationals and 53 were British nationals. 

There were also seven Portuguese nationals and one Canadian on board the Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad, according to The Hindustan Times.

“The injured are being taken to the nearest hospitals,” Air India said in a statement.

“We have also set up a dedicated passenger hotline number 1800 5691 444 to provide more information,” the full-service carrier added.