Nepal PM Says 1,400 Deaths Show Climate Injustice as Flood Losses Hit 10% of GDP
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · Sep 25
Nepal PM Says 1,400 Deaths Show Climate Injustice as Flood Losses Hit 10% of GDP
3 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Sep 25
Summary
At the UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Balendra Shah said last month’s flood that killed at least 1,400 people was a climate warning from a country that contributed less than 0.1% of global heat-trapping emissions.
Scientists linked the disaster to melting permafrost and glacier instability driven by fossil-fuel warming, after a partial glacier collapse unleashed the flood four weeks ago.
About 10% of Nepal’s GDP will be needed for recovery and reconstruction, Shah said, arguing vulnerable countries should receive grant-based support rather than more debt through slow, bureaucratic aid systems.
More than 6,000 people remain missing as search operations continue, while roads, bridges, schools and homes were swept away, disrupting Nepal’s development progress.
The World Bank has offered up to $170 million in emergency financing and the US has pledged $36 million, but Nepal is also pushing for a Himalayan mechanism with India and China to share data and strengthen early warnings.