On a global scale, Nepal ranks among the most climate-vulnerable countries facing frequent floods, landslides, droughts, glacial lake outburst floods, and heat stress. These risks further interact with a lack of quality governance, uneven development, and historical socio-economic inequalities that intensify displacement and livelihood insecurity. While climate change as a threat multiplier is being increasingly recognized and acknowledged in theory, a limited number of studies feature the interplay of climate change and migration, especially featuring experiences at the grassroots level in Nepal across different geographical zones.

This study analyzes patterns of climate-induced migration in the Hilly region and the Terai region of Nepal through qualitative analysis. An inductive thematic analysis is conducted that explores drivers of migration, its impacts, hidden patterns, and prospects for return or remigration.The data is gathered through in-depth migrant narratives and focus group discussions with migrants from Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, and Khotang, Sunsari, and Rupandehi districts in Koshi and Lumbini Provinces.

The results indicate that climate change is a crucial factor in influencing migration decisions. In the hilly region, an increase in wildlife conflicts, diminishing water sources, and collapsing subsistence farming accelerate migration to the plains, especially of the youth. Similarly, migrants from Terai reported that they are exposed to the risk of heat stress and pests. In addition, repeated displacement due to floods in this region contributes to displacement, making it impossible to realize the high potential of agricultural yield of the Terai region in comparison to that of the hills. All of these contribute to land insecurity, lack of basic needs such as education and healthcare, perpetual barriers towards upward social mobility, and remittance dependency in migrants.

The study further illustrates that climate-induced migration in Nepal should not be exclusively regarded as merely an environmental issue, but as an issue enmeshed in larger governance and developmental failures. It concludes that only integrated, contextual policies that interlink climate-resilient livelihoods, water security, land rights, gender-responsive planning with institutional coordination can address climate-induced migration issues.