Nepal's Prime Minister urges Himalayan climate-resilience plan at UN General Assembly

Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the United Nations General Assembly, warning that the recent Bhotekoshi-Trishuli floods, which caused at least 1,400 confirmed deaths and left over 6,000 people missing, are a preview of escalating climate threats to the Himalayas. He linked the disaster to melting permafrost, unstable mountain slopes, ice-rock avalanches and erratic river flows, stressing that climate change respects no borders.

Shah called for grant-based international aid rather than additional loans, noting that current climate-finance tools like the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Environment Facility are too cumbersome. He proposed a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism, coordinated by Nepal, India and China, to share satellite data, monitor glacial lakes and strengthen joint early-warning systems. While highlighting Nepal’s own steps—nearly half the nation now forested and expanding hydropower—Shah urged adherence to common but differentiated responsibilities and a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive preparedness. He concluded that the Himalayas, home to nearly two billion people, are a critical planetary water source and should become a laboratory of international cooperation.