Nepal floods highlight how climate-related disasters increase modern slavery risks

Nepal is facing a humanitarian crisis after flash floods swept through communities along the Nepal-China border in August, destroying homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods.

But for the affected communities, the risks do not end when the floodwaters recede.

When people lose their homes or livelihoods, the pressure of recovery leaves families with fewer options for safe work and increases their vulnerability to exploitation.

Bhim Shrestha, Executive Director and Co-founder of Shramik Sanjal and a migrant worker-survivor based in Nepal, says climate-related disruption is already affecting communities and livelihoods across the country.

“Although Nepal contributes a negligible share of global greenhouse gas emissions, it bears a disproportionately high burden from the climate crisis,” he shared.

“The destruction of settlements, infrastructure, and livelihoods is accelerating climate-induced migration, leaving thousands vulnerable and lacking adequate support.”

Nepal is highly exposed to climate extremes, despite contributing around only 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Bank.

The country is experiencing rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns alongside drought, flooding, and landslides.

The From Risk to Resilience report by GoodWeave examined communities in 8 rural districts, which are important source areas for workers in Nepal’s carpet and brick industries.

A total of 91% of respondents reported reduced agricultural production over the past 15 years, while 80% reported lost income, and 46% reported losing farmland due to climate impacts.

Families may struggle to afford food when agricultural production falls. People have described having to buy more food and borrow money after climate events reduced their crops.

People forced to migrate due to economic pressure can be more vulnerable to modern slavery and trafficking risks.

For some people in the communities studied, climate-related pressures contributed to decisions to migrate for work in Nepal’s carpet and brick sectors.

Bhim explains climate-related displacement also raises concerns about the safety of migration pathways.

“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.”

Research found 73% of adult brick workers surveyed said changing climate patterns played a role in their decision to work in the sector.

Households with debt because of climate shocks were more than 6 times as likely to link climate impacts to their decision to migrate. Households running out of food were more than 5 times as likely to make the same connection.

The current floods demonstrate the importance of emergency assistance and disaster response.

But longer-term recovery also needs to strengthen people’s ability to survive future climate shocks without being pushed into exploitative work.

Protecting people from modern slavery needs to be part of climate adaptation, disaster response, and recovery to ensure climate action protects people as well as the planet.