Nepal is preparing to seek a large-scale financial assistance package from the international community following the devastating floods that struck the country on August 26. According to the Nepal government’s preliminary assessment, around US$5 billion will be required over the next five months for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
This time, however, Nepal is not seeking international assistance solely for relief and reconstruction. It is also presenting the disaster as a climate change issue.
Nepal’s argument is that although its contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, the country is facing some of the most severe consequences of climate change.
Therefore, Nepal says developed and industrialized countries that have historically contributed the most to greenhouse gas emissions have a shared responsibility to help finance the country’s reconstruction.
At the end of August, floods and massive debris flows triggered by the bursting of a Himalayan glacial lake caused extensive destruction in Nepal and China’s Tibet region.
At least 1,300 people have so far been confirmed dead, while more than 5,300 people are reported missing. Nepal has suffered the largest share of the devastation.
More than a dozen hydropower projects have been swept away or severely damaged by the floods.
Roads, bridges, homes and major trading points along the border with China have also been affected. For Nepal, whose economy depends heavily on its mountainous regions, the disaster represents not only a humanitarian tragedy but also a major economic shock.
Nepal has long warned that rising temperatures in the Himalayan region are causing glaciers to melt at an accelerating rate.
Scientists have warned that the expansion of glacial lakes and increasing instability of glaciers are raising the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other extreme events.
Nepali officials say the latest disaster is an example of the broader climate crisis. They argue that it should not be viewed simply as a natural disaster, but as a direct manifestation of risks intensified by climate change.
Nepal’s disaster management authorities have already prepared a preliminary estimate of the cost of the first phase of rehabilitation and reconstruction over the next five months.
According to Nepal’s disaster management chief Dharmaraj Upreti, the financing plan prepared to mobilize international assistance and financial support for relief and reconstruction will be shared with embassies and representatives of major countries and international institutions, including the World Bank, Asian Development Bank, the United States, the United Kingdom, India, China, Japan and the European Union.
Speaking to Reuters, Upreti said, “This is not just a disaster caused by floods, but an extremely large tragedy. This is a disaster caused by climate change.”
Prakash Pokhrel, a geologist at Nepal’s National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, said Nepal did not want to assign specific financial amounts to individual countries. Instead, he said, Nepal wanted the international community to recognize the reality that countries least responsible for climate change are often paying the highest price.
“We do not need to tell you what is causing climate change, because you already know why climate change is happening and who is most responsible for it,” he said.
China accounts for roughly one-third of global greenhouse gas emissions.
The United States and Nepal’s other major neighbor, India, are also among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters.
In documents submitted to the United Nations, Nepal has repeatedly stated that its contribution to both historical and current global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible.
On Thursday, September 10, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said at a regular press conference that China was ready to provide assistance, within its capacity, for Nepal’s post-disaster reconstruction.
According to Guo, Beijing had already provided immediate assistance to Nepal while rescue and relief operations were continuing on the Chinese side of the border.
However, securing substantial international assistance is not expected to be easy.
The devastating floods that struck Pakistan in 2022 provide one example. At the time, international partners pledged around US$11 billion in assistance. However, the actual funds were delivered at a much slower pace.
A significant portion of the pledged assistance was reportedly redirected to other areas rather than going directly toward reconstruction, while the amount actually disbursed was substantially lower than the initial commitments.
Nepalese officials say the government is currently finalizing a detailed assessment report.
The report is expected to include details of damage and losses suffered by temporary shelters, schools and other essential infrastructure, as well as the budget required for reconstruction and rehabilitation.
According to officials, Nepal’s initiative to engage donors and international partners will be undertaken ahead of September 24, when Prime Minister Balendra Shah is expected to address the United Nations.
During his address, Shah is expected to call for greater international support for countries that remain highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.
For Nepal, the effort is therefore likely to extend beyond securing emergency relief. Kathmandu is seeking to frame the disaster as evidence of the growing climate vulnerability of the Himalayan region and to make a broader case for international responsibility, climate finance and long-term reconstruction support.
