'Not an ordinary event': Nepal PM calls for action against climate change amid disaster in the Himalayas

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah has called on the international community to take urgent steps against climate change, calling last week's floods "not an ordinary" event. In a late-night post on Monday, he wrote, "The flood in the Bhote Koshi River in Rasuwa was not an ordinary flood. It was one of the region's major disasters, triggered by an avalanche of snow and ice in the Himalayan region."

The exact cause of the floods is still not clear, but climate change is believed to be the driving force. Experts have warned that the Himalayas are melting faster amid rising temperatures, increasing the risk of such disasters. "This incident indicates that the risks we face in the Himalayan region are increasing alongside climate change," Shah added.

Also Read: Nepal and Tibet floods: Warning sign of a looming disaster recorded two days before tragedy struck

Climate change is accelerating amid increasing emissions by the developed and industrial countries. Nepal is home to about 30 million people and is largely a rural economy. However, carbon emissions from bigger economies are having an effect on smaller countries. Glaciers are melting, and countries like Pakistan and Nepal are seeing the effects. The former witnessed extreme rainfall and huge floods that killed over 1,000 people in 2025.

Shah said it is important to tackle this problem. "It is now time for us to strongly raise with the international community the issue of the disasters we are experiencing as a result of climate change," he said.

Climate change and melting glaciers

In 2023, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned during a visit to Nepal that Himalayan regions are witnessing rapidly melting glaciers amid climate change. Following the Nepal tragedy, UN climate chief Simon Stiell said it was a "devastating reminder of how fragile these mountain environments can be".

Also Read: Rescuers blast hillside in search of over 900 missing hydropower workers; Nepal flood toll surges to 939

An expert has said that ground temperatures two days before the tragedy had reached a two-year high, while a lake near the glacier was at its hottest in 2026 on the day of the floods.

Horrifying scenes emerged from Nepal and Tibet, showing people running to seek shelter as floodwaters as high as 100 feet gushed towards them. Over 900 people have died while nearly 4,000 remain missing. People have been looking for their loved ones, with rescue teams searching for survivors.

Workers trapped in tunnels

More than 900 hydropower project workers are still missing. They are believed to be trapped in tunnels along Nepal’s Trishuli River. On Monday, blast the hillside before pumping air into the Trishuli-3A site, fearing that the critical window to reach survivors is closing.