Sayedi et al. (2025) Anthropogenic drivers and their impact on the hydrological regime of Nepal: a review

⚠️ Warning: This summary was generated from the abstract only, as the full text was not available.

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Research Letters
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-15
• Authors: Sayedeh Sara Sayedi, Kunwar K Singh, Mary C Fabrizio, Santosh Nepal
• DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ae2ca8

Research Groups

This review paper synthesizes existing literature and does not specify the research groups, labs, or departments of its authors within the provided abstract.

Short Summary

This review synthesizes current evidence on anthropogenic drivers of hydrological change in Nepal, revealing that climate change impacts (glacial retreat, altered snowmelt, changing monsoon) combined with human activities (urbanization, agriculture, hydropower) intensify wet-season flood risks and dry-season water scarcity, offering lessons for other data-sparse mountain regions.

Objective

• To synthesize current evidence on anthropogenic drivers of hydrological change in Nepal and draw lessons relevant to other data-sparse, high-mountain, and monsoon-influenced regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Nepal, with relevance extended to the Himalaya, Andes, and other global mountain systems.
• Temporal Scale: Focuses on current and ongoing hydrological changes driven by climate change and human activities, implying a recent historical to present-day perspective.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: This paper is a review and does not utilize specific hydrological models itself; it synthesizes findings from other studies, some of which may have used models.
• Data sources: Synthesis of existing scientific literature and evidence regarding hydrological regimes, climate change impacts, and human activities in Nepal and similar mountain regions.

Main Results

• Warming-induced glacial retreat, altered snowmelt timing, and changing monsoon dynamics are intensifying wet-season flood risks while heightening dry-season water scarcity in Nepal, a pattern increasingly observed across global mountain systems.
• Human activities, including urban expansion, agricultural intensification, hydropower development, and extraction of sediments from rivers, further modify river flows, reduce groundwater recharge, and increase vulnerability to hydrological extremes.
• Major uncertainties persist, particularly concerning high-elevation hydrology, permafrost dynamics, sediment extraction impacts, and the cumulative effects of expanding infrastructure.
• Nepal’s pronounced topographic and climatic gradients limit broad generalizations, underscoring the critical need for region-specific hydrological monitoring and modeling.
• These challenges mirror global limitations in mountain hydrology, characterized by sparse observations and rapidly changing conditions that constrain predictive capacity.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of current evidence on anthropogenic drivers of hydrological change in Nepal.
• Identifies key knowledge gaps and highlights cascading impacts on agriculture, hydropower, domestic water supply, and aquatic ecosystems.
• Emphasizes the urgency of strengthening monitoring networks and integrating uncertainty into water management and climate adaptation strategies.
• Offers broader insights and lessons for countries facing similar pressures at the intersection of climate change, development, and fragile mountain water systems.

Funding

The provided abstract does not contain information regarding funding projects, programs, or reference codes.

Citation

@article{Sayedi2025Anthropogenic,
  author = {Sayedi, Sayedeh Sara and Singh, Kunwar K and Fabrizio, Mary C and Nepal, Santosh},
  title = {Anthropogenic drivers and their impact on the hydrological regime of Nepal: a review},
  journal = {Environmental Research Letters},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1088/1748-9326/ae2ca8},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ae2ca8}
}