Nepal flood toll nears 1,000 as PM rings climate alarm

Kathmandu, Nepal - Nepali Prime Minister Balendra Shah declared the recent deadly Himalayan flood, triggered by a glacial collapse on the China-Nepal border, not an ordinary event but rather a stark example of climate change, urging international intervention. The massive wave of ice and debris, which swept through the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa, claimed at least 939 lives and left nearly 4,500 people missing, with the government warning that reconstruction expenses could soar into the billions of dollars.

Shah emphasized that this disaster is one of the most significant in the region, resulting from the rapid melting of glaciers due to global warming. While the precise cause of the collapse remains uncertain, climate change is causing glaciers worldwide to melt, thus heightening the risk of such disasters.

Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, has contributed minimally to the greenhouse gas emissions fueling global warming caused by wealthy and industrialized nations, yet it is bearing the brunt of the consequences. Shah urged Nepal to strongly advocate the issue of climate-related disasters at the international level. He stressed that it is now imperative for the country to raise its voice against the increasing disasters caused by climate change.

The Himalayan glaciers, crucial water sources for around 240 million people in the mountainous regions and for another 1.65 billion people in the South Asian and Southeast Asian river valleys below, are a lifeline for millions. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who visited Nepal in 2023, cautioned that the Himalayan regions are grappling with fast-melting glaciers, warning that the "rooftops of the world are caving in."

Following Wednesday's disaster, UN climate chief Simon Stiell described it as a devastating reminder of the fragility of these mountain environments. The Nepalese economy is already under strain, with limited resources to cope with a disaster of this magnitude.