Nepal PM Balendra Shah told the UN General Assembly that floods which killed at least 1,400 people last month were “a warning to the world” about the accelerating climate crisis. He urged an overhaul of climate finance for vulnerable nations.
Scientists linked the flooding to melting permafrost that destabilised a Himalayan glacier; the article says the chain of hazards has been worsened by the burning of coal, oil and gas. Shah said Nepal contributes less than a tenth of 1 per cent of global greenhouse-gas emissions.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said preliminary assessments put flood losses at more than $5bn, about 15 per cent of Nepal’s GDP and a third of its annual budget. Nepal is seeking $20m—the maximum available for one disaster—from the loss-and-damage fund, which holds about $300m against $820m pledged. The US announced $31m in flood-recovery aid this week, bringing its total assistance to $36m, less than 1 per cent of the estimated need.
