Nepal floods a climate warning signal - foreign minister

A catastrophic glacial collapse along the China-Nepal border triggered deadly floods, serving as a stark warning about the escalating threats climate change poses to Nepal, declared the country's foreign minister, Shisir Khanal. Nearly a week after the massive wave of freezing water, rocks, and debris struck the nation, more than 1,000 bodies have been retrieved, while around 4,500 people remain missing across Nepal and China's Tibet region.

Khanal urged the international community to respond to Nepal's plight through climate justice, rather than mere charity, emphasizing that Nepal's contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible compared to industrialized nations. The minister highlighted the urgent need for international assistance to aid recovery efforts and build resilience against the growing challenges of climate change.

While the exact cause of the glacial collapse remains uncertain, climate change is accelerating glacier melting worldwide, heightening the risk of such disasters. The Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are melting at a faster rate due to rising global temperatures. The minister stressed the importance of not only preserving the mountains but also supporting adaptation and mitigation measures to address the challenges climate change presents to Nepal and the broader region.

The melting glaciers pose a significant threat to the nearly 240 million people living in the mountainous regions and the 1.65 billion people in the South Asian and Southeast Asian river valleys below. Khanal emphasized that Nepal, a downstream community for China and an upstream community for India, is interconnected with the Himalayan rivers that impact the entire civilization of the Himalayan region.

He called for accelerated data-sharing mechanisms to issue timely alerts about similar catastrophes, noting that China has already shared valuable information with Nepal. Despite the nation's grief, Khanal affirmed that Nepal remains a resilient and welcoming country, inviting people to visit and contribute to the recovery efforts.