25 September :Nepal has called on the international community to provide greater support for climate adaptation, with Prime Minister Balendra Shah highlighting last month’s devastating floods as a warning of the growing risks posed by climate change worldwide.
Speaking at the high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, 24 September, Shah said global warming was making the fragile Himalayan ecosystem increasingly unstable. As a result, permafrost is melting, glaciers are retreating rapidly and the risk of natural disasters is increasing.
At the end of last month, one of the worst disasters in Nepal’s history struck after powerful floodwaters triggered by a glacial-related collapse in the high mountainous region near the Nepal-China border. More than 1,400 people were killed and around 6,000 remain missing. The economic damage from the disaster could amount to several billion US dollars, with the government’s preliminary estimate putting the losses at around $5 billion.
Scientists from World Weather Attribution described the disaster as a “compound crisis”. Their analysis found that long-term global warming, combined with local geological instability, had accelerated processes such as glacier retreat and permafrost thawing.
Addressing the UN General Assembly, Shah pointed out that Nepal accounts for less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet, he said, the country is being forced to bear a disproportionate cost in dealing with the consequences of climate change.
The Nepali prime minister called on the international community to shoulder part of the enormous costs required for climate adaptation. He also proposed establishing a regional initiative called the “Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism”.
The proposed initiative would involve Nepal, India and China. It would seek to promote the exchange of satellite data and expert assessments, monitor glacial lakes and strengthen joint early-warning systems.
Nepal has requested $20 million from the United Nations Loss and Damage Fund. The amount is equivalent to the maximum sum a single country can currently request from the fund. However, compared with the estimated $5 billion in losses, the requested amount falls far short of the country’s needs.
The Loss and Damage Fund was established following devastating floods in Pakistan in 2022, but it has yet to make its first disbursement. Nepal’s application is therefore also being viewed as an important test of the fund’s effectiveness.
Meanwhile, the United States has announced an additional $31 million in assistance to Nepal for post-flood recovery. Nepali Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal told AFP that G7 countries had informally pledged support at a meeting on Wednesday. The United Kingdom has also assured Nepal of assistance.