Nepal's leader, at UN, says recent floods serve as a 'warning to the world' about climate change

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah condemned global leaders at the United Nations on Thursday, stating that the country's recent deadly floods serve as a stark warning about the dangers of climate change. Shah emphasized that the August disaster was not merely a local tragedy, but a global warning that climate change continues to inflict suffering on those who did not cause it. He urged world leaders to heed the warning: "Have you really heard that warning?"

Shah recalled a past UN warning from the secretary-general at the foot of Mount Everest, which was not adequately heeded. Despite countless reminders, political leaders have failed to translate warnings into swift and effective action to protect vulnerable populations, Shah lamented. He noted that Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1% of global heat-trapping gases, bears the brunt of climate change's consequences, including the loss of over $5 billion - nearly 15% of its GDP.

The former engineer and youngest head of government to address the General Assembly this year highlighted that climate change knows no borders, and its impacts affect everyone equally. Nepal's glaciers are retreating, mountain slopes are becoming unstable, and rivers are less predictable, making every major disaster more likely to erase years of development.

Shah called for international aid to be more than just bureaucratic red tape, insisting that climate justice means acting immediately to provide relief, rehabilitation, reconstruction, responsibility, reparation, and resilience.

Former US Vice President Al Gore echoed Shah's concerns, stating that the disaster in Nepal is a preview of what is to come for many vulnerable nations, and warns that the climate crisis is getting worse much faster than people can handle.