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NEW YORK, Sept 25 — In the wake of Nepal's catastrophic flooding last month, Prime Minister Balendra Shah has warned the world about the escalating threats of climate change, urging the United Nations to bolster assistance for his nation's adaptation efforts. Addressing the General Assembly in sunglasses, Shah highlighted the destabilization of the Himalayan ecology due to climate change, which has led to melting permafrost and glaciers, exacerbating hazardous conditions.

Last month's disaster, a tsunami-like flood triggered by a glacial mountain collapse along the Nepal-China border, caused unprecedented devastation, claiming over 1,400 lives, leaving 6,000 people missing, and inflicting economic losses in the billions of dollars. Experts from the World Weather Attribution have characterized the event as a "compound crisis," where local geological instability has been amplified by prolonged warming, resulting in glacier retreat and permafrost thaw.

Shah emphasized that Nepal, responsible for less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is bearing the brunt of this crisis despite not having contributed to it. He appealed for international support to help Nepal bear the cost of adaptation, stating that "Nepal cannot build resilience alone against a crisis exacerbated by global governance failures."

To address this, Shah proposed establishing a "Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism" that would involve Nepal, along with its neighbors India and China, enabling them to collaborate on satellite data sharing, glacial lake monitoring, and enhancement of joint early warning systems. At the age of 36, Shah came to power six months ago following youth-led anti-corruption protests, driven by aspirations for change.

However, the disaster has thrust climate diplomacy to the forefront of his administration, eclipsing the anti-corruption agenda. Nepal has requested US$20 million (RM81.5 million) from the UN's Loss and Damage fund, the maximum allowable amount, but this pales in comparison to the estimated US$5 billion required for disaster reconstruction.

The fund, established in 2022 following catastrophic floods in Pakistan, has yet to disburse its initial funds, with observers viewing Nepal as a crucial trial for its credibility. Earlier, the United States pledged an additional US$31 million in new flood recovery support. Nepal's foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, informed AFP that the G7 discussed potential assistance informally on Wednesday, and Britain has also committed to providing aid.