Science

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the UN General Assembly that the global order is broken in fighting the climate crisis, saying his country is "hit by the climate we didn't warm, hit by the wars we didn't start." He was applauded as he highlighted how the world is failing countries on the frontline of the crisis.

Nepal’s Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the UN General Assembly that the August 26 glacial collapse and flood that killed at least 1,453 people was “a warning to the world” and accused political leaders of failing to act on climate warnings at the speed and scale vulnerable people need. Shah said Nepal, which contributes less than 0.1 percent of heat-trapping gases, is paying a colossal price for a crisis it did not cause, and proposed a “Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism” with India and China to share data and strengthen early warning systems. Nepal has requested the maximum $20m from the UN’s loss and damage fund against a disaster cost it preliminarily estimates at $5bn, while 5,500 people remain missing and 13,795 were rescued.