Kathmandu, September 25-Prime Minister Balendra Shah ‘Balen’ has urged the international community to provide immediate support and fulfill its responsibilities, saying Nepal has suffered significant human and material losses due to climate change.
Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Prime Minister Shah said that although Nepal’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, the country is facing severe consequences of the climate crisis.
He presented the devastating floods that have recently struck Nepal as an example of the rapidly increasing climate risks in the Himalayan region. Raising at the international forum the suffering of families who have lost loved ones and those still searching for missing relatives, Shah said the impacts of natural disasters do not remain confined within national borders.
According to him, at least 1,400 people have died in the recent disaster, while more than 6,000 people remain missing. He said resources equivalent to around 10 percent of Nepal’s gross domestic product would be required to restore infrastructure damaged by the disaster.
“Climate change does not recognize borders. Glaciers and floods do not travel with passports and visas,” Shah said during his address.
He said rising temperatures in Nepal’s Himalayan region are accelerating glacier melt, destabilizing terrain and increasing the risks of glacial lakes, landslides and floods. Noting that these impacts extend beyond Nepal to China and India, he stressed the need for cooperation among Himalayan countries.
Prime Minister Shah proposed establishing a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India and China. Such a mechanism, he said, could facilitate monitoring of high-risk glacial lakes, sharing satellite-based data, developing early warning systems, and coordinating cross-border rescue and relief operations during disasters.
Shah emphasized that wealthy countries and those responsible for higher emissions must shoulder greater responsibility in addressing the climate crisis. He said climate justice should not remain merely a subject mentioned in international documents but should be implemented in a way that directly benefits people affected by climate change.
He also called for sufficient grant-based climate finance for Nepal to support relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction following climate-related disasters.
Shah questioned the complicated administrative procedures that force vulnerable countries to wait for years to access international assistance.
“When a house is on fire, we do not ask a family to fill out 50 forms; we act immediately. That should also be the meaning of climate justice,” he said.
Prime Minister Shah said the climate crisis should not be viewed solely as an environmental issue but should also be linked to development, food security, employment, infrastructure and human security. Damage to roads, bridges, schools, homes, farmland and livelihoods, he said, is placing an additional economic burden on developing countries.
He informed the assembly that Nepal is expanding forest coverage and advancing hydropower development, clean energy promotion, electric vehicle use and climate adaptation programs at the local level.
During his address, Shah also called for equal importance to be given to the voices of small and vulnerable nations in the international system. He questioned why global supply chains can be mobilized quickly for wars and military equipment while farmers struggle to obtain essential fertilizers and fuel.
Referring to Nepal’s younger generation, Shah said the new generation is seeking politics based on integrity and accountability. He said his government is committed to creating dignified employment, strengthening social security and providing opportunities for citizens within the country.
He stressed that governments should move beyond focusing only on rescue and relief after disasters and increase investment in preparedness, early warning systems, insurance, resilient infrastructure and climate adaptation.
Concluding his address, Shah urged the international community to take seriously the warning signs emerging from the Himalayas. He called for international cooperation centered on the needs and voices of affected countries and concluded his speech with a wish that Lord Pashupatinath bless the world and that humanity move forward along the path shown by the Buddha.
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