Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah addressed the United Nations General Assembly on September 21, 2026, urging global leaders to take action against climate change following devastating floods in his country last month. He described the floods, which occurred on August 26, as a 'warning to the world' and emphasized that the disaster was not merely a local issue. Shah questioned whether world leaders had truly acknowledged this warning, criticizing them for not acting at the necessary speed and scale to assist vulnerable populations.
The floods resulted in at least 1,453 fatalities when a surge of mud, rock, and water struck northern Nepal and the China-Tibet border, triggered by a glacial collapse. Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority reported that 5,500 individuals remain missing, while 13,795 have been rescued.
A report from the World Weather Attribution group indicated that the disaster stemmed from a 'compound crisis' influenced by long-term warming, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw, and geological instability, rather than a single extreme weather event. Shah pointed out that those most affected by climate change are often not responsible for its causes, highlighting that Nepal contributes less than one-tenth of 1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. He noted that approximately 99 percent of Nepal’s electricity is generated from hydropower, and many workers were trapped in tunnels due to the flooding.
Shah stated that the impacts of climate change are evident in Nepal, with retreating glaciers, unstable mountain slopes, and unpredictable rivers, all of which threaten the country’s development. He called on the international community to assist Nepal in adapting to climate change and proposed the establishment of a 'Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism' to facilitate cooperation with neighboring countries India and China. This mechanism would focus on sharing satellite data, monitoring glacial lakes, and enhancing early warning systems.
Nepal has requested $20 million from the UN’s loss and damage fund, the maximum allowable amount, although this is only a small fraction of the estimated $5 billion cost of the disaster. The fund, created in 2022 following severe floods in Pakistan, has yet to disburse any funds, and observers consider Nepal’s situation a critical test of the fund’s effectiveness. The United States recently announced an additional $31 million in flood recovery support.