Nepal PM demands climate action after Himalayan disaster

Kathmandu, Nepal faced a devastating flood in the Bhote Koshi River late last week, claiming at least 939 lives and leaving nearly 4,500 people missing. Prime Minister Balendra Shah warned this was no ordinary natural disaster, but one exacerbated by climate change. The monstrous wave of icy water and debris was triggered by a glacial collapse along the China-Nepal border.

Shah emphasized the flood was one of the region's major catastrophes, driven by the alarming melt of Himalayan glaciers due to global warming. While the precise cause of the collapse remains uncertain, climate change is rendering glaciers worldwide more vulnerable, heightening the risk of such disasters, scientists say.

The Himalayas, home to the world's highest peaks, are melting at an accelerated rate as temperatures rise globally. Shah stressed the region must remain vigilant in light of these escalating risks. Despite contributing minimally to global emissions, Nepal, a nation of 30 million people, is bearing the brunt of climate change's consequences.

Shah called on Nepal to actively press its case on the international stage, demanding urgent action from the global community to address the escalating disasters linked to climate change. The Himalayan glaciers, a vital water source for over 240 million people in mountainous regions and 1.65 billion in downstream river valleys, are under severe stress.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had earlier warned of rapidly melting glaciers in the Himalayan regions, describing them as a "devastating reminder" of the fragility of mountain environments.