Nepal seeks India-China pact as Himalayas melt

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah proposed the creation of a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism, led by Nepal, India, and China, in response to recent devastating flash floods in the Himalayan region. The mechanism aims to share satellite data, expertise, monitor dangerous glacial lakes, strengthen joint early-warning systems, and coordinate assistance across borders during disasters.

Shah emphasized that melting glaciers and climate change are destabilizing the fragile Himalayan ecology, which provides water, ecosystems, agriculture, and livelihoods to nearly two billion people. The Himalayas are an integral part of the planet's life-support system, Shah stated. The proposed mechanism would serve as a laboratory for international cooperation, rather than a frontier of fragmented information.