Surkhet, Nov. 24 -- When Dan Bahadur Giri looks at his village in Sukadhik in ward 8 of Khatyad Rural Municipality in Mugu district, he says it no longer resembles the place he grew up in. "Until 2000, we would have snowfall four to five times every winter. Without snow, the surrounding hills now remain dry even in peak winter. Water springs have begun to dry and water scarcity has become the norm," he said. While vegetables and fruits once grown only in the Tarai now grow in the highlands due to rising temperatures, the iconic Himalayan apples have seen a sharp decline in production.

The changes have not stopped with crops. Giri complains that medicinal herbs that once sustained mountain livelihoods-such as morel mushrooms, red mushroom...