Nepal’s Shah calls flood a climate warning, seeks grants

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah used his address to the United Nations General Assembly on September 24 to call the deadly late-August flood a warning about climate risks and urge international grant-based support for recovery. He also proposed a regional mechanism with India and China to improve monitoring and preparedness for disasters in the Himalayas. Shah said Nepal should not have to take on additional debt to rebuild after a climate-related disaster. He called for adequate grants and simpler access to climate finance, arguing that recovery and reconstruction needs were estimated at about 10% of the country’s gross domestic product. The estimate refers to physical recovery needs and is distinct from a broader preliminary loss estimate cited separately by Nepal’s foreign minister. The flood followed a glacier collapse near the Nepal-China border in late August, triggering landslides and fast-moving water through downstream communities. Shah said roads, bridges, schools, homes and livelihoods had been swept away. Reports put the death toll at at least 1,400, while more than 6,000 people remained missing weeks later and search and recovery operations were continuing.