On Thursday at the high-level session, Shah said that a warming climate is destabilizing the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. As a result, permafrost and glaciers are melting, and the risk of natural disasters is also increasing.
In late last month, after a glacier-related collapse in a high mountainous area along the Nepal-China border, severe flash floods caused widespread damage. It has been reported that more than 1,400 people were killed and nearly 6,000 people are missing. Economic losses are estimated at several billion dollars.
Shah said that Nepal's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is less than 0.1 percent. Yet Nepal is having to pay the price of the climate crisis. In this situation, he called on the international community to bear a portion of the cost of adaptation.
Nepal's Prime Minister proposed forming a regional initiative called ‘Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism’. It calls for including India and China to exchange satellite data and expert opinions, monitor glacial lakes, and strengthen a joint early warning system.
Nepal has sought $20 million in assistance from the UN's Loss and Damage Fund for climate-related losses. However, according to the government's preliminary estimate, the damage from the recent disaster is about $5 billion. In addition, the United States has announced $31 million in assistance for post-flood recovery. Several G-7 countries, including the United Kingdom, have also pledged assistance.
