Nepal prime minister calls deadly floods a global climate warning

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday that August’s catastrophic floods were a “warning to the world,” urging faster international action and financial support for countries facing climate disasters they did little to cause.

The August 26 disaster killed at least 1,453 people, while 5,500 remained missing and 13,795 had been rescued, according to Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. A torrent of mud, rock and water struck northern Nepal and the China-Tibet border after a glacial collapse. World Weather Attribution researchers described the disaster as a “compound crisis” shaped by long-term warming, retreating glaciers, thawing permafrost and geological instability.

Shah said Nepal produces less than 0.1% of global heat-trapping emissions but is suffering severe consequences from climate change. He criticized international climate-finance mechanisms as inadequate and bureaucratic, and called for help with adaptation and recovery.

Nepal has requested $20 million—the maximum available—from the UN loss and damage fund, while a preliminary government assessment estimated the disaster caused $5 billion in damage. The fund, created in 2022, has not yet made its first disbursement. The United States pledged an additional $31 million in flood-recovery support earlier this week.

Shah also proposed a Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism involving Nepal, India and China to share satellite data and expertise, monitor glacial lakes and strengthen joint early-warning systems.