Kathmandu: Hon. Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal addressed Kathmandu Climate Week 2026 on October 2.
In his address, Foreign Minister Khanal emphasised that climate resilience should fundamentally guide Nepal’s infrastructure, planning, and national development.
Stressing that climate justice must be practical, he highlighted the need for accessible, non-debt climate finance and urged the swift operationalisation of the Loss and Damage Fund to protect vulnerable nations facing mounting climate risks.
The Minister said, “Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse emissions. Yet our people pay with their lives and assets for a crisis they had no hand in creating. Climate justice means acknowledging this disproportionate burden. Therefore, we demand new, predictable, accessible, and grant-based climate finance. It means robust adaptation support, technology transfer, and direct capacity-building.”
Minister Khanal said that in order to reduce the damage Nepal is experiencing due to climate change, adaptation support, technology transfer and international support in institutional capacity development are necessary. He held the opinion that the damage and loss fund, established with the aim of providing immediate financial resources to the countries affected by the climatic disasters, should not be limited to the complexity of the administrative process. Referring to the disastrous floods and landslides in the Bhotekoshi River on August 26, Minister Khanal said that the disaster in the Himalayan region had a serious impact on roads, bridges, hydropower infrastructure and the livelihood of the local communities. “The calamity that came to our Himalayan valley was like a Himalayan Tsunami. The flood that came in a few minutes destroyed precious human lives, important highways and bridges, clean hydropower infrastructure and livelihood bases of communities,” he said.
Minister Khanal said that the voice raised by Nepal internationally should be based on the real experience of the community, scientific evidence and practical solutions targeting the upcoming United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP-31) and the mid-term review of the Doha Action Plan. “Our diplomacy should bring the real situation of the Nepali people to the world and they should bring the resources of partnership, technology and subsidies to Nepal,” he said. Minister Khanal mentioned the need to connect the issue of climate justice from villages and mountain settlements to the world community through Kathmandu and called on all parties to move forward with common resolve, courage and purpose.
