Nepal Prime Minister Calls for International Action to Tackle Climate Change

Nepalese Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said that the devastating floods that struck the Himalayan region last week were caused by climate change, calling for international action to address its impacts.

In a social media post late yesterday, Dahal stated that “the flood that hit the Boti Koshi River in the Rasuwa district was not an ordinary flood,” describing it as “one of the major disasters in the region.”

The death toll from the floods that swept through Nepal on the border with China last Wednesday has risen to more than 1,000, while 4,462 people remain missing. Meanwhile, Kathmandu has warned that the cost of reconstruction could reach billions of dollars.

Dahal noted in his post that the incident demonstrates that “the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change,” adding, “Therefore, this region must remain in a state of constant vigilance.”

According to Dahal, “The time has come to strongly raise before the international community the issue of the disasters we are experiencing as a result of climate change.”

Scientists say the Himalayas, the world’s highest mountain range, are experiencing rapid glacial melt due to rising global temperatures.