Nepal PM calls floods a warning on climate change

Shah Calls for Climate Resilience as Nepal Faces Billions in Disaster Losses

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah has called the country's devastating Himalayan flood disaster a warning to the world about the growing risks associated with climate change. Addressing the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, Shah urged the international community to provide stronger financial and technical support as Nepal continues recovery and search operations following one of the country's worst recent disasters.

Deadly Disaster Sweeps Through Himalayan Communities

The disaster began on August 26 after a massive rock and ice collapse from the Langtang Lirung mountain near the Nepal-China border triggered a rapidly moving debris flood. The event sent huge quantities of water, rock, ice and sediment downstream, causing widespread destruction across mountain communities and along the Trishuli River corridor. According to Reuters, at least 1,450 people have been killed and more than 6,000 remain missing. Search and recovery operations are continuing in several affected areas, although authorities face major challenges because large quantities of mud, rock and debris have buried settlements and infrastructure. The World Weather Attribution assessment found that the disaster was not simply a conventional flood. Researchers described it as a cascading hazard in which a large rock-wall collapse and glacier failure developed into a debris flood and then a major flash flood. The event travelled rapidly through valleys, destroying homes, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities and other infrastructure.

Scientists Link Warming to Increased Mountain Risks

Scientists have stressed that climate change should not be described as the single direct cause of the mountain collapse. Instead, the scientific assessment says long-term warming may have weakened conditions in the high Himalayas by contributing to glacier retreat, permafrost thaw and changes in the form of precipitation at high elevations. The World Weather Attribution report said rapidly rising temperatures can increase the likelihood and severity of complex hazards in the Himalayas. Researchers also noted that the underlying geological structure played an important role in determining where and how the slope failed. The assessment found that the rock and ice avalanche travelled extremely quickly after the collapse. It reached the Rasuwagadhi border area around 22 kilometres downstream within minutes and subsequently affected communities much farther along the river system. The researchers said the event was beyond the scale and speed for which existing conventional early-warning systems had been designed.

Nepal Calls for International Climate Finance

Prime Minister Shah has argued that Nepal needs international assistance that does not place additional debt burdens on a country already dealing with major disaster losses. Reuters reported that Nepal's recovery and reconstruction needs are estimated at around 10 percent of the country's gross domestic product. Shah called for grant-based international support and said vulnerable countries should receive adequate assistance to rebuild infrastructure and strengthen resilience against future climate-related disasters. The World Bank has also made up to $170 million in emergency financing available to help Nepal respond to the disaster and begin recovery efforts. Nepal has separately sought $20 million from the United Nations Loss and Damage Fund. The country's preliminary assessment has placed the overall economic cost of the disaster at around $5 billion. The scale of the request highlights the gap between the immediate international assistance available and the estimated cost of reconstruction and recovery.

US Announces Additional Flood Recovery Support

International assistance has already begun to reach Nepal. The United States has announced an additional $31 million in flood recovery support, while Nepal has also been seeking assistance from other international partners. Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told AFP that the G7 had informally promised support during a meeting in New York and that Britain had also pledged assistance. Nepal has also received support from neighbouring countries and members of the Nepali diaspora.

Nepal Proposes Regional Himalayan Climate Mechanism

During his UN address, Shah proposed closer cooperation between Nepal, India and China to address the growing risks in the Himalayan region. His proposed Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism would focus on sharing satellite information, monitoring glacial lakes, strengthening early-warning systems and improving coordination during cross-border disasters. The proposal reflects the fact that Himalayan environmental and disaster risks do not stop at national borders. Changes in glaciers, mountain slopes, rivers and high-altitude ecosystems can affect communities across several countries, making regional information sharing and preparedness an important part of disaster management.

Himalayan Communities Face Growing Climate Risks

The disaster has renewed attention on the vulnerability of communities living in Himalayan valleys. Many settlements depend on rivers for transport, agriculture, hydropower and other economic activities, while available land for relocating communities is limited.The World Weather Attribution assessment said Nepal already has early-warning and adaptation measures that can reduce the effects of more conventional floods. However, researchers said the August 26 event was fundamentally different because of its speed, magnitude and combination of geological and hydrological hazards.

Nepal's Climate Appeal Gains Global Attention

Nepal's appeal at the United Nations has placed climate resilience, disaster preparedness and international financing at the centre of the country's recovery efforts. The government now faces the difficult task of locating missing people, supporting survivors, rebuilding damaged infrastructure and preparing communities for future hazards.For Nepal, the disaster has also become part of a wider international discussion about how countries with relatively low greenhouse gas emissions can obtain financial and technical support when they face increasingly complex climate and environmental risks. The scientific evidence does not attribute the entire disaster directly to climate change, but researchers say warming has increased conditions that can contribute to high-altitude instability and more severe mountain hazards.The recovery is expected to take considerable time as search operations continue and authorities assess the full scale of damage. Nepal's government is now seeking international cooperation not only for immediate relief and reconstruction but also for stronger monitoring, early-warning systems and long-term climate resilience across the Himalayas.