Kathmandu: Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for stronger international support for Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction following the devastating Bhotekoshi disaster, while urging greater global action to address the impacts of climate change on vulnerable countries.
Addressing the G7 Development Ministers’ Meeting on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, Khanal described the Bhotekoshi disaster as a “stark warning from the Himalayas to the entire world.”
He said a warming planet could reverse decades of development gains within hours and stressed that Nepal, despite its negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions, continues to face disproportionate impacts of climate change.
“The Bhotekoshi disaster is not just Nepal’s tragedy; it is a stark warning from the Himalayas to the entire world. A warming planet can reverse decades of development gains in a matter of hours. Despite our negligible contribution to global emissions, we continue to bear the disproportionate and harsh impacts of climate change,” he said.
Khanal outlined five priorities for Nepal’s recovery and reconstruction: long-term international partnerships supported by grants and concessional financing; faster and easier access to climate finance, including the Loss and Damage Fund; increased investment in disaster preparedness and early-warning systems; rapid and affordable financing through multilateral development banks; and greater international attention to the conservation of the Himalayas, including glaciers and water systems.
He called for international solidarity to be translated into concrete support for countries facing growing climate-related risks.
