Snakebite in Nepal: When environmental risk meets policy failure

Every monsoon, in the fertile plains of Nepal’s Terai region, as farmers work barefoot in flooded paddy fields and families sleep close to the ground in poorly sealed homes, encounters between people and snakes rise sharply. This leads to a predictable and avoidable surge in deaths related to snakebite in an area known as the country’s ricebowl.

Snakebite is often treated as a medical emergency in isolation. In Nepal, it is better understood as a systemic failure at the intersection of environmental risk and health governance.

These monsoon snakebite spikes are shaped by land-use patterns, housing conditions, and agricultural practices that place rural communities in close and recurring contact with venomous snakes. In addition, despite recording some of the highest snakebite mortality rates in South Asia, the country relies almost entirely on imported antivenom from India, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population. This dependence leaves rural communities exposed during the very months when risk is highest.