In 1986, while addressing the Second South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Summit in Bengaluru, India, the late King Birendra had cautioned the leaders of the region that sea-level rise caused by global warming would be a major concern for us all. The next day, a journalist blithely commented that King Birendra, coming from a mountainous, landlocked country, should be the last person to worry about sea-level rise. An idea that sounded so distant and ridiculous 35 years ago has become an existential threat for us today. Many small island nations have experienced increased floods from higher waves often generated by storms faraway. The regularity of water logging is making it impossible to farm in coastal areas; existing crop varieties cannot cope with the brine.
Back home, heavy rains have started to dump massive amounts of water in the mountains causing unprecedented damage to lives and property. It has undermined…
