A dry winter is intensifying wildfires in Nepal, experts said Wednesday, as the capital Kathmandu continued to suffer from hazardous air quality that ranks it among the most polluted cities globally.
Nepal has seen a significant drop in post-monsoon rainfall, with 79.4% less precipitation between December and February compared to the average, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology said Tuesday.
More than 1,800 wildfires have been reported across the country since January, with more than a third of them occurring within the last month.
The Air Quality Life Index, issued by the University of Chicago, estimated in 2024 that air pollution stripped 3.4 years off the life of an average Nepal resident.