KATHMANDU, JANUARY 23 At an event organised by the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy (CESIF) in Lalitpur today, a local delegation from Limi valley, Humla district, warned that climate-induced vulnerability in Limi could lead to irreversible displacement unless urgent state engagement and policy flexibility are implemented. The three villages that make up the Limi valley - Halji, Til, and Jang (Zhang) - are located along Nepal's northern border with China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) at elevations between roughly 3,700 and 4,100 metres. An estimated 1,200 people live in the valley, and their traditional means of subsistence have traditionally relied on trans-Himalayan pastoral practices, yak-based animal husbandry, and high-altitude farming. Residents of Limi have recently looked for work and economic opportunities in Taklakot, TAR, as a result of an agreement between Nepal and the PRC in 2002. The area is home to the only remaining wild yak population in the Nepali Himalaya and is acknowledged as a high-altitude biodiverse landscape. Additionally, the valley has profound religious and cultural significance. Founded in the eleventh century, the Halji Rinchen Ling Monastery is still among Nepal's oldest intact monasteries. Furthermore, Lapcha La Pass in Limi has great cultural and spiritual significance because it is the only location in Nepal where one can see Mount Kailash and Mansarovar Lake in the TAR. Mangal Lama and Ward Chair Paljor Tamang, local representatives, emphasised that the valley's crisis is now primarily caused by climate change. They pointed out that the High Himalayas' rising temperatures are exacerbating climate variability, upsetting seasonal cycles, and raising the frequency of catastrophic floods. Up until now, homes, agricultural land, and essential infrastructure have been repeatedly damaged by floods and river-driven erosion in Til, which has increased the pressure on displacement. The delegation emphasised that these effects are already compelling communities to think about moving-not as a choice, but as a necessity for survival. Til village was identified as the settlement most negatively impacted. Homes and productive land have been destroyed by frequent flooding, which culminated in a significant event in 2025, forcing locals to relocate permanently. The village of Jang has seen almost complete depopulation, with the delegation stating that the settlement has declined from more than 60 households to only two households remaining today. The speakers also emphasised how long-term livelihood disruption has increased climate vulnerability. The valley's traditional animal husbandry economy has been weakened by a bilateral agreement with China that regulates cross-border movement and grazing access. This agreement has drastically decreased the amount of seasonal pasture available for yak herding. Many locals became more reliant on wage labour from other countries as their livestock and agricultural systems collapsed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this coping strategy suddenly failed as border closures reduced income opportunities and exacerbated food insecurity. The delegation emphasised their decision to move the three valley villages to Takchi, the Limi people's ancestral settlement area, in late 2025. Speakers contended that rather than being a disorderly desertion of the area, this strategy should be viewed as a planned 'shift'. They claimed that the move to Takchi was decided upon in order to take advantage of the economic opportunities brought to the valley by tourism, as well as to lessen the impact of climate change-related natural disasters on livelihood and security, such as a GLOF event that destroyed multiple homes and fields in Halji village in 2011. Given the seriousness of the situation, Ward Chair Paljor Tamang questioned the state's scant attention to the various crises and urged the government to improve the circumstances that the residents of Limi are facing. Mangal Lama questioned why communities are deprived of both the option of state support at home and sustainable opportunities across the border, drawing a comparison between the development in TAR and the lack of basic infrastructure and services on the Nepali side. Yanchen Tamang, a Limi Valley resident, revealed that the depopulation of villages has caused profound uncertainty among the remaining residents, especially as families observe the disintegration of local institutions and community life. They concluded that while climate change is the immediate trigger of the crisis, the obstacles to adaptation and relocation have become governance challenges. The delegation noted that administrative restrictions, especially Restricted Area regulations, complicate mobility, disaster response, and planned relocation efforts, including to Takchi.