- The death toll from the floods surged to 1,050 on Tuesday, with nearly 4,000 people, including 583 foreigners and 83 security personnel, still missing.
- Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah on Tuesday said that the devastating flood that entered Rasuwa through the Bhotekoshi River bordering Tibet last week was due to climate change.
- Shah stated, "There is no doubt that climate change has caused this disaster, as it has been confirmed that the temperature in the Himalayan region has increased by 1.8 degrees."
- PM Shah said that experts concluded the disaster was the consequence of a rock ice avalanche in the Himalayan region, underscoring the need for people to become more cautious.
- Shah emphasized that climate change is a global contribution and disaster response remains a global responsibility, and that the incident points towards the growing risk of climate change in the Himalayas.
- Shah explained that experts suggest the flood may have been caused by a large portion of the glacier falling from a great height, melting and causing a major flood that devastated downhill areas.
- Shah asserted that it is time to present the disaster caused by climate change strongly before the international community.
Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has linked the recent devastating floods in Nepal to climate change, stating, "There is no doubt that climate change has caused this disaster, as it has been confirmed that the temperature in the Himalayan region has increased by 1.8 degrees." The floods, which began on August 26, were triggered by a collapse of ice and rock near the Nepal-Tibet border, leading to widespread destruction in northern and central Nepal.34679
As of Tuesday, the death toll has risen to 1,050, with nearly 4,000 people missing, including 583 foreigners and 83 security personnel, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority. Shah emphasized the global nature of climate change, stating, "This incident points towards the growing risk we have to bear as the consequences of climate change in the Himalayas."12
Experts have suggested that the floods may have been exacerbated by a significant portion of a glacier melting and collapsing, which intensified the flooding as it descended from the heights of the Himalayas. Shah urged for increased caution among residents and called for the international community to address the climate crisis, asserting, "It is time we present the issue of the disaster we are facing due to climate change before the international community strongly."8
“Shah cited a confirmed 1.8-degree temperature rise in the Himalayas, calling the disaster a global responsibility. Experts attribute the flood to a rock ice avalanche, underscoring the growing climate risk in the region.”
