Impact of Climate Change on the Life Cycle of Seals in Antarctica

In Antarctica, climate change has accelerated ice melting, reducing the 10-day period during which mother seals stay with their pups, thereby increasing the risk of pup mortality. Similarly, in Nepal, climate change has led to faster glacier melting in the Himalayas, resulting in increased flooding, landslides, and droughts, which in 2024 caused 249 deaths and displaced thousands. Climate change has also facilitated the spread of dengue, malaria, and waterborne diseases in Nepal, while severely affecting agriculture and livestock farming.

The life cycle of seals in Antarctica provides an extremely sensitive and harsh example of the impacts of environmental change. Many seal species there give birth on the ice, with mother and pup staying together for only about 10 days after birth. Within this brief period, the mother must nurse the pup, help it gain weight, enable it to survive the cold conditions, and teach it essential skills like swimming. However, due to global warming and climate change, ice in Antarctica is melting faster than before, shortening this critical 10-day bonding and nurturing period.

Currently, climate change is significantly impacting the lives of seals in Antarctica. In many cases, mothers are forced to leave earlier than usual, leaving pups who are not yet fully capable vulnerable to falling into water or drowning as ice melts. This issue extends beyond just seal populations—it signals serious disruptions to the global ecosystem. Small changes in Antarctica affect worldwide weather systems, causing irregularities in rainfall, unexpected water and snow events, and droughts. In Nepal, hundreds of such events occur annually due to these climatic shifts. According to environmentalist Bhushan Tuladhar, Nepal is among the most climate-sensitive countries globally, with rapid temperature increases in the Himalayas driving glacier melt, floods, landslides, droughts, and health problems.