Nepal’s catastrophic floods were ‘warning to the world,’ PM Shah tells UN

We and our partners do the following data processing based on your consent: store and/or access information on a device, personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development Nepal’s catastrophic floods were ‘warning to the world,’ PM Shah tells UN Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah said on Thursday that last month’s catastrophic floods were a “warning to the world” of growing climate risks in the Himalayas. He said warming was melting glaciers and permafrost and urged international support to help Nepal adapt to threats it could not face alone. Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah addresses the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, Sept. 24, 2026 © Frank Franklin II, AP Nepal's catastrophic flooding last month "was a warning to the world" about the rising dangers of climate change, Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the United Nations on Thursday, urging countries to step up to help his country adapt.

Addressing the General Assembly in sunglasses during its high-level week, Shah said a warming climate was "destabilizing the fragile Himalayan ecology," melting permafrost and glaciers and accelerating hazards. The nation suffered one of the worst catastrophes in its history late last month when a tsunami-like flood, triggered by a high-altitude glacial mountain collapse along the Nepal-China border, cut a swathe of destruction. More than 1,400 people died, 6,000 are still missing, and the economic devastation runs in the billions of dollars.

Scientists from the World Weather Attribution have described the event as a "compound crisis" in which local geological instability combined with long-term warming has led to glacier retreat and permafrost thaw. "Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emission. We did not create this crisis, yet we are paying for it," he said.

Read moreClimate catastrophe leaves Nepal mourning while the search for the missing continues Shah urged the international community to help bear the cost of helping his country adapt to climate change, because "Nepal cannot build resilience alone against a crisis made worse by the failure of global governance." He proposed to create what he called a "Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism," which would include Nepal and its neighbors India and China, and allow them to share satellite data and expertise, monitor glacial lakes and strengthen joint early warning systems. A 36-year-old ex-rapper, Shah swept to power six months ago on a wave of youth-led anti-corruption protests, buoyed by optimism for change. But the disaster has pushed climate diplomacy to the center of his premiership, overshadowing the anti-corruption agenda.

Nepal has asked the UN's Loss and Damage fund for $20 million in aid, the maximum allowed, but a tiny fraction of what it needs -- a preliminary assessment by the government has placed the cost of the disaster at $5 billion. The fund, established in 2022 in the aftermath of catastrophic floods in Pakistan, has yet to make even its first disbursement, and observers see Nepal as a key test of its credibility. Earlier this week, the United States pledged an additional $31 million in new flood recovery support.

Nepal's foreign minister Shisir Khanal told that the G7 informally promised support at a meeting on Wednesday, and Britain has also vowed to help. Focus## Climate catastrophe leaves Nepal mourning while the search for the missing continues Week in pictures: devastating floods in Nepal, death of Dolly Parton and a tornado in France 1. 1 ## Macron urges world to 'stand firm' against 'abuse of power by empires' in final UN speech France 2. 2 ## Ladin: Dolomites villages refuse to give up on ancient language On the ground Europe 3. 3 ## AI leaders warn UN Security Council of risk to ‘humanity as a whole’ without regulation As it happened Americas 4. 4 ## ‘I had never heard of Eswatini’: Deported by the US to a country that rejects them Investigation Africa 5. 5 ## Israel blasts ‘grotesque absurdity’ of Macron’s UN remarks on West Bank Middle East 6. 6 ## Iran, AI and the ICC: Trump makes threats, touts policies at UN General Assembly Americas © 2026 Copyright France 24 - All rights reserved. France 24 is not responsible for the content of external websites.