Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah has urged urgent global action on climate change, calling last month’s devastating Himalayan flood “a warning to the world.”
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly, Shah said the August 26 disaster, which killed 1,453 people and left 5,500 missing, was not just a local tragedy but a global alarm. Triggered by a glacial collapse, the torrent of mud, rock, and water struck northern Nepal and the China‑Tibet border, displacing thousands.
Shah warned that climate change is punishing nations least responsible for emissions. Nepal contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gases, yet faces colossal losses. He highlighted that 99% of Nepal’s electricity comes from hydropower, with workers trapped in tunnels during the floods.
Citing research from the World Weather Attribution group, Shah said the disaster was a “compound crisis” shaped by warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw, and geological instability. He proposed a Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism with India and China to share satellite data, monitor glacial lakes, and strengthen early warning systems.
Nepal has sought $20 million from the UN’s loss and damage fund, though preliminary assessments place the disaster’s cost at $5 billion. Shah urged equitable climate finance, adaptation support, and justice, stressing that every major disaster threatens to erase years of development.
0 comments
No comments yet. Yours would be the first.