Weather and Climate NEPAL - Colby College. Nepal.pdf · Weather and Climate Culture Economy ......
1
Nate Eberly, Alex Olsen & Catherine Stewart Weather and Climate Culture Economy Agriculture Tourism Winter Monsoon Summer Monsoon L H • Nepal is considered to be one of the world’s poorest countries with about 31 percent of its population living on less than 47 rupees or 1 US dollar per day • Agriculture accounts for about 1/3 of the country’s entire GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain. • Economic growth in Nepal is on average around 3%, however this past year they have experienced growth over 5% possibly due to expanding markets and other government funded projects such as improved means of transportation. The World Bank stated, “Government priorities over the years have been the development of transportation and communication facilities, agriculture, and industry. Since 1975, improved government administration and rural development efforts have been emphasized.” The recession of 2009 will challenge tourism and future growth, a key source of foreign investment. Nepal has considerable opportunities for profit in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment. Nepal struggles, however, to attract foreign investment because of the small size of the economy, unstable politics, its limited technological development, its remoteness and landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disasters such as monsoonal flooding. • The UN Development Programmes’s Human Development report says Nepal accounts for 0.0 percent of global CO 2 emissions - an average of 0.1 tonnes of CO 2 per person. Himalayas Colder temperatures on land create a seasonal high-pressure zone, forcing dry air over Nepal and India. Warmer temperatures on land create a seasonal low-pressure zone, attracting moist air from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. !"#$%&’()* ,%’ -.)(" /001 !"! #"! $!"! $#"! %!"! %#"! &!"! ’()*(+, -./+*(+, 0(+12 34+56 0(, ’*). ’*6, 3*7*89 :.49.;/.+ <19=/.+ >=?.;/.+ @.1.;/.+ 2.$).’(34’. 56!7 ! #! $!! $#! %!! %#! &!! &#! A!! 8.(9 :(#9 5$$7 0.() C(5) D;;E 05)" F.;4 DGHE 0(I F.;4 DGHE •Nepal is a very diverse climatic region that is greatly affected by dramatic altitude variation and seasonal changes in precipitation. •Elevations range from 70 to 8,848 meters and result in dramatic temperature variation (from around 10°C to 25°C in the highlands and 10°C to as hot as 40°C in the lowlands). •Nepal is divided into five climatic zones based on elevation. •The climate of Nepal is characterized by two distinct seasons: the dry season which runs from October through May, and the wet season which runs from June through September. •The summer monsoons are a result of moist air carried from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. This moisture is held in place by the Himalayas, and orthographic lifting leads to dense cloud formation and heavy precipitation. • The summer monsoon rains account for 70 to 80% of annual rainfall totals. • Even slight variations in the amount of rainfall can be devastating to many aspects of life. • Increasing global temperatures are causing an eastward circulation shift in the summer monsoons. The reduced moist air over the increasingly warming land leads to less cloud moisture and less precipitation. This often leads to even more hot conditions. Housing: •The architecture found in Nepal is diverse, and is significantly dependent on regional climate and available resources. •Houses in the Northern highlands of Nepal are primarily constructed of bricks and stone masonry with mud roofs that insulate and keep the houses warm during cold months. •In other areas of Nepal, houses are constructed of bamboo, mud, and cow- dung. Bamboo is a readily available resource that thrives throughout most of the climatic regions of Nepal and mud and cow-dung help regulate temperature. •In urban areas, like the Kathmandu Valley, buildings are constructed using Newari architecture – a style of architecture that is climatologically conscious and uses locally available materials. Food: •The majority of Nepalese cuisine is made of local crops like rice, maize, wheat, and millet and meat products like goats, poultry, and river fish. •Without easy-access to the international market, Nepal relies on the products that can be produced within the country. •The crops grown in Nepal are very susceptible to a number of climatological factors, including flooding due to excessive monsoonal rains. Festivals and Music: •Dashain, one of the largest and longest festivals in Nepal, revolves around the end of the summer monsoon and the harvest season. Every year in September or October, Nepal hosts a fifteen-day festival full of celebration. • Tourism is reduced in the summer months due to the rainy summer monsoon. •Most Tourists visit Nepal for Mountaineering and Trekking and come from Asia and Western Europe. •Travel and Tourism are expected to contribute 6.3% to the GDP in 2009. • Nepal’s economy is highly dependent on agriculture which involves over 80% of the population. • Rough terrain in many parts of the country makes it easier for farmers to export surpluses to India rather than to remote regions within Nepal. •There have been ineffectual government efforts to ease the average farmers’ dependence on weather. •Increases in productivity since the 1950s have greatly altered the mountainous ecosystems. Within 3 decades, half of Nepal’s forest cover was lost. Crop Production in Nepal for the 2003/2004 Season 0 500000 1000000 1500000 2000000 2500000 3000000 3500000 4000000 4500000 5000000 Paddy Maize Millet Wheat Barley Oilseed Potatoe Tobacco Sugarcane Jute Cereal Crops Cash Crops production (metric ton) 2008 Tourist Arrivals 0 10000 20000 30000 40000 50000 60000 70000 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Month number of tourists •Tourism had been steadily increasing until 2008 due to the global recession. • The Himalayas are a major attraction as well as other peaks, parks and historical and religious sites. 0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000 United States Denmark Zimbabwe Argentina Japan China Afghanistan Nepal North Korea 500 28,000 11,200 1,900 31,200 37,800 GDP per Capita (2008 in US$) Population: 28,563,377 Unemployment Rate: 46% GDP: 12.6 billion Exports: clothing, carpets, leather goods, jute goods, pulses, grain Imports: petroleum products, machinery and equipment, electrical goods NEPAL •The atypical summer of 2009 has had devastating effects on food production. 1,000 1,400 700
Transcript of Weather and Climate NEPAL - Colby College. Nepal.pdf · Weather and Climate Culture Economy ......
Nate Eberly, Alex Olsen & Catherine Stewart
Weather and Climate
Culture
Economy
Agriculture
Tourism Winter Monsoon Summer Monsoon
L H
• Nepal is considered to be one of the world’s poorest countries with about 31 percent of its population living on less than 47 rupees or 1 US dollar per day
• Agriculture accounts for about 1/3 of the country’s entire GDP. Industrial activity mainly involves the processing of agricultural products, including pulses, jute, sugarcane, tobacco, and grain.
• Economic growth in Nepal is on average around 3%, however this past year they have experienced growth over 5% possibly due to expanding markets and other government funded projects such as improved means of transportation.
The World Bank stated, “Government priorities over the years have been the development of transportation and communication facilities, agriculture, and industry. Since 1975, improved government administration and rural development efforts have been emphasized.”
The recession of 2009 will challenge tourism and future growth, a key source of foreign investment. Nepal has considerable opportunities for profit in hydropower and tourism, areas of recent foreign investment. Nepal struggles, however, to attract foreign investment because of the small size of the economy, unstable politics, its limited technological development, its remoteness and landlocked geographic location, and its susceptibility to natural disasters such as monsoonal flooding.
• The UN Development Programmes’s Human Development report says Nepal accounts for 0.0 percent of global CO2 emissions - an average of 0.1 tonnes of CO2 per person.
Himalayas
Colder temperatures on land create a seasonal high-pressure zone,
forcing dry air over Nepal and India.
Warmer temperatures on land create a seasonal low-pressure
zone, attracting moist air from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal.
!"#$%&'()*+,%'+-.)("+/001
!"!
#"!
$!"!
$#"!
%!"!
%#"!
&!"!
'()*(+,
-./+*(+,
0(+12
34+56
0(,
'*). '*
6,
3*7*89
:.49.;/.+
<19=/.+
>=?.;/.+
@.1.;/.+
2.$).'(34'.+56!7
!
#!
$!!
$#!
%!!
%#!
&!!
&#!
A!!
8.(9+:(#9+5$$7
0.()BC(5)BD;;E 05)"BF.;4BDGHE 0(IBF.;4BDGHE
• Nepal is a very diverse climatic region that is greatly affected by dramatic altitude variation and seasonal changes in precipitation.
• Elevations range from 70 to 8,848 meters and result in dramatic temperature variation (from around 10°C to 25°C in the highlands and 10°C to as hot as 40°C in the lowlands).
• Nepal is divided into five climatic zones based on elevation.
• The climate of Nepal is characterized by two distinct seasons: the dry season which runs from October through May, and the wet season which runs from June through September.
• The summer monsoons are a result of moist air carried from the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. This moisture is held in place by the Himalayas, and orthographic lifting leads to dense cloud formation and heavy precipitation.
• The summer monsoon rains account for 70 to 80% of annual rainfall totals.
• Even slight variations in the amount of rainfall can be devastating to many aspects of life. • Increasing global temperatures are causing an eastward circulation shift in the summer monsoons. The reduced moist air over the increasingly warming land leads to less cloud moisture and less precipitation. This often leads to even more hot conditions.
Housing: • The architecture found in Nepal is diverse, and is significantly dependent on regional climate and available resources. • Houses in the Northern highlands of Nepal are primarily constructed of bricks and stone masonry with mud roofs that insulate and keep the houses warm during cold months. • In other areas of Nepal, houses are constructed of bamboo, mud, and cow-dung. Bamboo is a readily available resource that thrives throughout most of the climatic regions of Nepal and mud and cow-dung help regulate temperature. • In urban areas, like the Kathmandu Valley, buildings are constructed using Newari architecture – a style of architecture that is climatologically conscious and uses locally available materials.
Food: • The majority of Nepalese cuisine is made of local crops like rice, maize, wheat, and millet and meat products like goats, poultry, and river fish. • Without easy-access to the international market, Nepal relies on the products that can be produced within the country. • The crops grown in Nepal are very susceptible to a number of climatological factors, including flooding due to excessive monsoonal rains.
Festivals and Music: • Dashain, one of the largest and longest festivals in Nepal, revolves around the end of the summer monsoon and the harvest season. Every year in September or October, Nepal hosts a fifteen-day festival full of celebration.
• Tourism is reduced in the summer months due to the rainy summer monsoon.
• Most Tourists visit Nepal for Mountaineering and Trekking and come from Asia and Western Europe. • Travel and Tourism are expected to contribute 6.3% to the GDP in 2009.
• Nepal’s economy is highly dependent on agriculture which involves over 80% of the population.
• Rough terrain in many parts of the country makes it easier for farmers to export surpluses to India rather than to remote regions within Nepal.
• There have been ineffectual government efforts to ease the average farmers’ dependence on weather.
• Increases in productivity since the 1950s have greatly altered the mountainous ecosystems. Within 3 decades, half of Nepal’s forest cover was lost.
Crop Production in Nepal for the
2003/2004 Season
0
500000
1000000
1500000
20000002500000
3000000
3500000
4000000
4500000
5000000
Paddy
Maiz
e
Mille
t
Wheat
Barley
Oilseed
Pota
toe
Tobacco
Sugarc
ane
Jute
Cereal Crops Cash Crops
pro
du
cti
on
(m
etr
ic t
on
)
2008 Tourist Arrivals
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
70000
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Month
nu
mb
er o
f t
ou
ris
ts
• Tourism had been steadily increasing until 2008 due to the global recession.
• The Himalayas are a major attraction as well as other peaks, parks and historical and religious sites.
0 5,000 10,000 15,000 20,000 25,000 30,000 35,000 40,000
United States
Denmark
Zimbabwe
Argentina
Japan
China
Afghanistan
Nepal
North Korea
500
28,000
11,200
1,900
31,200
37,800
GDP per Capita (2008 in US$)
Population: 28,563,377
Unemployment Rate: 46%
GDP: 12.6 billion
Exports: clothing, carpets, leather goods, jute goods,
pulses, grain
Imports: petroleum products, machinery and equipment,
electrical goods
NEPAL
• The atypical summer of 2009 has had devastating effects on food production.
1,000
1,400
700
![Narrative Report - birgunjmun.gov.npbirgunjmun.gov.np/sites/birgunjmun.gov.np/files/documents/आव... · spoken in the town including [Bhojpuri, [Nepali]], Maithili, Newari, and](https://static.fdocuments.net/doc/165x107/5ae9a1b77f8b9ab24d8c5421/narrative-report-spoken-in-the-town-including-bhojpuri-nepali-maithili.jpg)
