Prime Minister Balen Shah called on the international community to deliver climate justice at the 81st United Nations General Assembly, emphasizing Nepal’s disproportionate suffering from climate change despite its minimal contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. He presented the devastating Bhote Koshi-Trishuli floods of August 2026 as a global warning, not merely a local tragedy.
The August 2026 floods in the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli region caused extensive human and material damage in Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading districts, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), Nepal’s central body for disaster management. As of October 6, 2026, 1,455 bodies have been recovered, while 5,285 people remain missing. The government suspended active search and rescue operations on October 6, 2026, shifting focus to reconstruction and rehabilitation. Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent to global greenhouse gas emissions but ranks fourth globally in climate change risk.
Prime Minister Shah advocated for grant-based climate finance, increased regional cooperation in the Himalayan region, and translating climate justice from UN documents into practical action. The call for climate justice, however, must now be integrated into Nepal’s national policies, institutional structures, research, budgeting, preparedness, and rescue and reconstruction systems. The Prime Minister’s international message needs to be transformed into a broad national campaign and action plan within Nepal.
National Action and Climate Finance
Nepal seeks accessible, adequate, predictable, and grant-based finance for loss and damage, adaptation, resilient infrastructure, risk reduction, technology transfer, early warning systems, research, and community capacity building. The country argues that international climate finance is overly complex and process-driven, and grant-based aid is essential for post-disaster reconstruction, rather than adding to debt.
To address the crisis domestically, a high-level National Climate Justice and Resilience Dialogue, led by the Prime Minister, is proposed. This dialogue would involve federal, provincial, and local governments, political parties, national and international non-governmental organizations, the private sector, universities, and affected communities. The aim is to develop a clear national climate action framework with specific plans, responsibilities, timelines, and budgets.
Immediate priorities include scientific, data-driven climate risk mapping from local to national levels. This involves identifying vulnerable settlements and infrastructure, integrating climate risk assessment into new infrastructure projects, and promoting climate-adaptive agriculture and nature-based solutions.
Madhesh Province Faces Unique Challenges
Madhesh Province faces severe impacts from climate change, with a parliamentary committee study revealing a water crisis driven by land-use changes and the destruction of the Chure-Bhabar region. Deforestation and uncontrolled sand and gravel extraction in the Chure-Bhabar recharge area have damaged natural systems vital for replenishing groundwater. The study shows an annual decline of two to four meters in the water table across Madhesh, affecting approximately 6.1 million people. The region also saw one-third less rainfall than average last monsoon, leading to drought, and is becoming a new hotspot for wildfires.
Upcoming Engagements and Unanswered Questions
Nepal is preparing for the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP-31) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), scheduled for November 9-20, 2026, in Antalya, Turkey. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has outlined Nepal’s demands for COP-31, including keeping global temperature rise within the 1.5 degrees Celsius limit and the swift implementation of a loss and damage fund that does not increase debt burdens. Domestically, a dedicated ‘Climate Diplomacy Branch’ was established in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on October 2, 2026, to link Nepal’s climate situation with international forums. Kathmandu Climate Week, which began on October 2, 2026, is currently discussing climate finance, loss and damage, resilient infrastructure, and the role of youth and the private sector.
Key questions remain, including how Nepal will integrate its international climate justice advocacy into national policy and action, the specific steps to translate the Prime Minister’s UN address into a national campaign, and how developed nations will provide adequate finance, technology, and capacity building for loss and damage.
