PM Balen Shah Urges Global Climate Action at UNGA, Calls for Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balen Shah has called for stronger international action on climate change, greater climate financing and enhanced cooperation among Himalayan countries, warning that climate-induced disasters are increasingly threatening development, livelihoods and human security.

Addressing the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), Shah said the recent devastating floods in Nepal’s Himalayan region should be viewed not merely as a national disaster but as a warning to the international community about the accelerating impacts of climate change.

He said Nepal, despite contributing less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, is facing severe consequences from a changing climate, including shrinking glaciers, unstable mountain slopes, unpredictable river flows and increasingly destructive disasters.

Referring to the floods along the Bhotekoshi and Trishuli river systems, Shah said the disaster caused widespread loss of lives, infrastructure and livelihoods. He highlighted the plight of families searching for missing relatives, communities affected by debris and floodwaters, and infrastructure including bridges, roads, schools and homes that were destroyed within minutes.

According to the speech, at least 1,400 people were killed, and more than 6,000 remained missing, while preliminary estimates indicated that physical recovery alone could require resources equivalent to around 10 percent of Nepal’s GDP. Shah said Nepal would once again seek international solidarity and support for recovery and reconstruction, drawing a parallel with the assistance received following the 2015 Gorkha earthquake. He also expressed gratitude to India, China, other friendly countries, the United Nations system, humanitarian agencies, philanthropic organizations and people around the world for their support following the floods.

Shah stressed that the impact of climate change extends beyond national boundaries. He said the floods affected areas on both sides of the Nepal-China border before flowing downstream toward India, demonstrating that climate-related disasters require cross-border cooperation.

“Climate change does not recognize borders,” Shah said, emphasizing that glaciers and floods do not travel with visas or passports. He linked rising temperatures to the destabilization of sensitive Himalayan ecosystems, including melting permafrost, unstable mountain slopes, landslides, avalanches and glacial and riverine flooding.

As a key proposal, Shah called for the establishment of a “Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism” led by Nepal, India and China. The proposed mechanism would facilitate the exchange of satellite data and technical expertise, monitoring of potentially dangerous glacial lakes, strengthening of joint early-warning systems and coordinated cross-border responses during disasters.

Shah said the Himalayan region should become a platform for international cooperation rather than a boundary divided by fragmented information systems. He noted that the Hindu Kush Himalayan region is home to nearly two billion people and provides water, ecosystems, agriculture and livelihoods to populations far beyond Nepal’s borders. “The Himalayas are not merely the periphery of the Earth; they are a life-support system for the planet,” he said.

Shah argued that climate justice should translate into concrete action rather than remain limited to international declarations. Referring to the principle of Common But Differentiated Responsibilities and Respective Capabilities (CBDR-RC) under the UN climate framework, he said countries with greater historical contributions to the climate problem and greater capacity to respond should do more.

He called for greater grant-based international assistance for vulnerable developing countries, arguing that climate disasters should not force poorer countries to take on additional debt to rebuild infrastructure destroyed by climate-related events. Shah also criticized the current scale and accessibility of international climate financing, saying mechanisms such as the Loss and Damage Fund and the Global Environment Facility (GEF) remain insufficient. He called for climate finance systems that allow vulnerable countries to access assistance more quickly during emergencies.

Shah outlined six key priorities for responding to climate-induced disasters:
a. Relief
b. Rehabilitation
c. Reconstruction
d. Responsibility
e. Reparation
f. Resilience

He said the first three are essential immediately after disasters, while the latter three are necessary to prevent climate disasters from becoming a permanent cycle for vulnerable countries. Despite being a least developed country, Shah said Nepal has been making significant contributions to environmental protection and climate action.

He highlighted the restoration of forest cover across nearly half of Nepal’s territory, expansion of hydropower to meet domestic clean-energy requirements and replace fossil-fuel-based energy in neighboring markets, and promotion of electric transportation. He also emphasized efforts to strengthen climate adaptation capacity at the local level and improve Nepal’s ability to respond to increasingly frequent and severe climate disasters.

Beyond climate change, Shah used his UNGA address to call for reforms in the international system and a fairer global economic order. Referring to the UNDP’s 1994 Human Development Report and its concept of human security, he said security should be understood not only in terms of territory and military strength but also in terms of people's access to development and freedom from fear and deprivation.

He pointed to challenges faced by ordinary people in accessing essential goods such as agricultural fertilizer, fuel and other supplies, contrasting these difficulties with the speed at which military equipment can move across borders. Shah argued that the global system has developed highly efficient supply chains for warfare while failing to ensure equally reliable access to essential goods and livelihoods.

Shah reaffirmed Nepal’s commitment to multilateralism and said the United Nations should remain a platform where smaller and poorer countries can have their voices heard. He said climate justice involves not only financial transfers but also distributive justice, concerning who bears the costs of climate change, and procedural justice, concerning whose voices are included in decision-making.

He particularly highlighted the interests of Himalayan communities, small island developing states, landlocked countries, least developed countries and future generations. He said Nepal was prepared to lead discussions on these issues through the “Sagarmatha to Sea” programme scheduled to take place at the United Nations.

Shah also highlighted his government's domestic priorities, including creating decent employment, strengthening social security and ensuring equal opportunities for Nepalis to prosper within their own country. He said the recent floods should be viewed as an indication of what a future of increasingly extreme climate events could look like.

He called for a shift from ad hoc disaster response toward a culture of preparedness, with greater investment in resilience, insurance, innovation, stronger infrastructure and institutions, and reduced dependence on fossil fuels. He also called for systems capable of providing early warnings and protecting lives before disasters strike.

Concluding his address, Shah urged the international community to listen when warnings emerge from the “roof of the world,” and act before climate-related disasters become even more destructive. He ended his address with a message invoking Lord Pashupatinath and the teachings of Buddha, wishing for global peace and welfare.