Nepal is experiencing a deepening humanitarian crisis as climate-related disasters — including flash floods, droughts, and landslides — destroy homes, farmland, and livelihoods, pushing vulnerable communities towards exploitative labour conditions and modern slavery. Despite contributing just 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank, Nepal bears a disproportionate burden from the climate crisis.

Research by GoodWeave, examining eight rural districts that supply workers to Nepal's carpet and brick industries, found that 91% of respondents reported reduced agricultural production over the past 15 years, with 80% reporting lost income and 46% losing farmland. Households facing debt or food shortages due to climate shocks were significantly more likely to migrate for work — over six times and five times more likely, respectively — increasing their exposure to trafficking and forced labour.

Bhim Shrestha, Executive Director and Co-founder of Shramik Sanjal and a migrant worker-survivor, warned that climate-induced displacement is compounding existing vulnerabilities: "Climate-induced displacement and heightened vulnerability also increase the risk of irregular migration and human trafficking. This flooding event constitutes not only a disaster but also a crisis of climate justice, migration, and protection."

Experts and advocates are calling for modern slavery protections to be embedded within climate adaptation strategies and disaster recovery frameworks, arguing that climate action must safeguard people as well as the planet.