Nepal has sought $20 million in climate compensation from the United Nations loss and damage fund following devastating floods that killed more than 1,300 people and left over 5,500 missing, with the country warning that the disaster highlights the growing climate risks facing the Himalayas.
Nepal Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal told The Guardian that the world’s largest and historically highest emitting economies must recognise their shared responsibility for helping vulnerable countries recover from climate related disasters. Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The floods struck in late August after the partial collapse of a melting glacier triggered a landslide and powerful flash floods across parts of Tibet and Nepal. Khanal described the event as a “tsunami” from the Himalayas, saying waves reaching 60–70 feet carried mud, rocks and debris at speeds of nearly 180 km per hour, destroying homes, roads, villages and other infrastructure.
Nepal’s ministries of finance and environment have jointly written to the UN fund requesting $20 million for climate related losses and damages. However, Khanal acknowledged that the amount would cover only a small fraction of the disaster’s overall cost. Some estimates put the total damage at more than $5 billion.
More than 20,000 homes are expected to require reconstruction, while major highways and other infrastructure have suffered extensive damage. Some settlements located along vulnerable river corridors may also need to be relocated to safer, higher ground.
The disaster has renewed concerns over the impact of climate change on the Himalayan region. The Himalayas are warming significantly faster than the global average, while glaciers are shrinking as temperatures rise. Nepal has warned that the recent event should not be treated as an isolated disaster but as a warning of increasingly recurring climate related hazards.
The country compensation request comes as the international loss and damage financing system faces a major funding shortfall. According to the report, requests from around 119 countries have reached $2.8 billion, while only about $400 million has so far been provided.
Khanal said climate finance should support not only post disaster recovery but also preparedness and risk mitigation. He also called for stronger regional cooperation on monitoring and data sharing across the Himalayas.
The minister said Nepal had been in discussions with China about improving coordination and information exchange but rejected claims that Chinese authorities had knowingly failed to warn Nepal about the glacier collapse. He said neither Nepali nor Chinese scientists had known that the particular glacier was on the verge of collapsing.
For Nepal, the disaster has become a powerful warning about the consequences of a rapidly changing Himalayan climate. Khanal urged the international community to strengthen mechanisms that can provide timely financial support to countries with low emissions but high exposure to climate related disasters.