Statement by Foreign Minister Mr Khanal at the High-Level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition

Statement by Foreign Minister Mr Khanal at the High-Level Meeting on Climate Action and the Just Transition

 

Question:

Excellency, your country has suffered devastating losses from the catastrophic flooding recently. What does Nepal need now to recover and rebuild and what must the international community do differently to support vulnerable countries from worsening climate impacts.

 

Hon. Minister may add the followings:

 

Madam Moderator,

First, I wish to extend our sincere thanks to the Secretary‑General for convening this important event. 

Let me also recall his powerful message delivered three years ago from the lap of Mt. Everest, when he urged the world to “stop the madness.” 

He warned that Nepal’s mountains are “crying out for help,” and that global inaction risks catastrophe for millions downstream. 

That warning, I believe, was not only a plea, it was a warning grounded in science.

The question before us, Madam Moderator, is whether the international community truly heard this warning with sincerity, with conscience, and with resolve.

Yes, Madam Moderator, you are right.

In this climate catastrophe, Nepal has endured the loss of hundreds of lives, the destruction of homes and livelihoods, and the shattering of development gains painstakingly built over decades. 

These tragedies are not isolated events. 

They are symptoms of a global crisis.

A crisis Nepal did not create. 

You know, Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse‑gas emissions.

Yet, we suffer disproportionately and repeatedly.

The crisis has dragged vulnerable communities back into poverty.

It has swept away roads, bridges, schools, homes, farms, and livelihoods, crippled hydropower infrastructure, the backbone of our future economic prospects,

It has shattered the dreams of many who saw hope in our steady development path.

Preliminary assessments indicate that from recent climate‑induced disasters alone, Nepal has suffered losses exceeding USD 5 billion, nearly fifteen percent of our GDP.

Thus, for Nepal, this catastrophe is not merely a humanitarian emergency. 

It is a development emergency dismantling years’ of progress. 

It is a justice crisis exposing the inequities of global climate action. 

And it is an existential crisis striking at the very survival of our communities and our future. 

Let me now stress that what happened in Nepal was not merely a local tragedy. 

It was a warning to the world what might be coming next. 

Madam Moderator, 

Let me now turn to what the international community must do differently. 

In fact, the international community must act not only differently, but decisively now. 

We need a fundamental shift from promises to delivery. 

Vulnerable countries cannot navigate this crisis with fragmented support, unpredictable financing, and slow‑moving mechanisms. 

We need scaled‑up, front‑loaded, and accessible climate finance that reaches communities before disasters strike, not after devastation has already occurred.

Adaptation must be prioritized. 

For countries like Nepal, adaptation is not optional; it is a lifeline. 

Doubling adaptation finance is an overdue obligation. 

Similarly, prevention and preparedness must remain central. 

We need universal access to early‑warning systems, affordable technologies tailored to mountainous ecosystems, climate information services, and resilient infrastructure. 

As you may know that our people are asking for climate justice. 

The Loss and Damage Fund must be adequately capitalized, faster, simpler, and accessible. 

Multilateral development banks must mobilize rapid and affordable financing when disasters strike.

Finally, the future of our glaciers, mountains, and water systems is inseparable from regional and global climate security. 

What happens in the Himalayas does not remain in the Himalayas. 

The Himalayas are part of the planet’s life‑support system.

We must therefore take integrated approach to address climate change impact from mountain to the sea. 

And there is a need for us to double down on efforts to keep the 1.5°C goal within reach. 

This is a matter of survival for mountainous and coastal communities.

Let me conclude, Madam Moderator, 

This Himalayan Tsunami is the most tragic we have seen. 

But the larger, looming threat is even more consequential. 

It is not only the devastation we mourn today; it is the far greater danger that lies ahead if the world continues to look away.

For this, I call upon Heads of State and Government, Ministers, Philanthropists, the Media, Civil Society, the Private Sector, and the Academic community to rise to this moment with courage and clarity. 

To recognize that what happened in Nepal is not an isolated disaster but a preview of what awaits many vulnerable nations. 

To understand that this crisis is not a distant headline but a shared global reality. 

And to accept that the responsibility to act does not rest on the shoulders of vulnerable countries alone, it rests on all of us.

I call upon you to treat climate action not as charity, but as justice. 

 

I thank you.