Nepal PM Balendra Shah told the UN that the deadly Himalayan floods were a warning to the world, seeking climate finance and regional cooperation.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has described the catastrophic Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods as a “warning to the world”, urging international leaders to take stronger action on climate change and provide faster financial support to vulnerable countries.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24, Shah placed the Himalayan disaster at the centre of Nepal’s appeal for climate justice.
He said the flood was not simply a national tragedy but evidence of the growing dangers confronting mountain communities as global temperatures rise.
Nepal Pays ‘Colossal Price’ for Climate Crisis
Shah told the General Assembly that Nepal contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse-gas emissions but is already experiencing retreating glaciers, unstable mountain slopes, unpredictable rivers and increasingly severe floods and landslides.
“A warming climate is destabilising the fragile Himalayan ecology,” he said, arguing that climate-related disasters can erase years of development within minutes.
According to figures presented in his speech, at least 1,400 people have been confirmed dead and more than 6,000 remain missing following the Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster. Preliminary assessments estimate that Nepal’s physical recovery requirements could equal approximately 10% of its gross domestic product.
The floods destroyed homes, schools, bridges, roads, hydropower infrastructure and livelihoods. The devastation extended across the Nepal-China border, while floodwaters continued downstream towards India.
Shah Calls for Faster Climate Finance
The Nepalese leader criticised the complexity and slow pace of international climate-finance mechanisms.
He argued that poor and climate-vulnerable countries should not be forced to take on further debt to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by disasters they did little to cause.
Shah called for adequate grant-based support and easier access to funds, including the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage and the Global Environment Facility.
Nepal has already requested $20 million from the Loss and Damage Fund, while preliminary estimates have placed the wider cost of the disaster at around $5 billion. The country says existing global climate-finance arrangements are too slow and insufficient for disasters of this scale.
Nepal Proposes Himalayan Climate Mechanism
Shah proposed establishing a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India and China.
The regional initiative would support:
- Sharing satellite information and scientific expertise
- Monitoring dangerous glacial lakes and unstable mountain areas
- Strengthening cross-border early-warning systems
- Coordinating disaster preparation and emergency responses
- Developing climate-resilient infrastructure
“Climate change does not recognise borders,” Shah told delegates, stressing that floods and glacial hazards can quickly affect several countries.
He said the Hindu Kush Himalayan region supports the water, food, energy and livelihoods of nearly two billion people and should become a centre for international scientific cooperation.
Climate Justice Must Lead to Action
Shah urged wealthier and historically higher-emitting countries to accept greater responsibility under the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.
He also called for a transition from temporary disaster relief towards long-term preparedness, resilient infrastructure, insurance, technological cooperation and effective early-warning systems.
The speech represented one of Nepal’s strongest international appeals for climate justice following the August 26 flood disaster. Shah’s message was that the catastrophe should not be viewed as an isolated Himalayan event but as a sign of the risks other countries could face as the climate continues to warm.
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