The Nepalese Prime Minister stated that the major disaster in the Himalayas, which caused at least 939 deaths and nearly 4,500 people missing, is linked to climate change and called on the international community to respond urgently.
On 1 Sep 2026 GMT+7, Balendra Shah, Nepal's Prime Minister, urged the global community to take swift action on climate change following massive flooding and debris flows in the Himalayan region last week, which resulted in at least 939 deaths and nearly 4,500 missing persons.
Prime Minister Shah said via social media that the flooding of the Bhote Koshi River in the Rasuwā district of northern Nepal was not an ordinary flood but one of the region’s major disasters, caused by a massive collapse of snow and ice from the Himalayas.
He added that this event reflects the increasing disaster risks in the Himalayan area alongside climate change, calling for heightened caution in the region and serious attention from the global community to this issue.
The disaster occurred along the China-Nepal border, where frigid water and debris surged down the river, causing severe damage. The Nepalese government estimates recovery and restoration costs could reach several billion U.S. dollars. Although the exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, climate change is accelerating glacier melting worldwide, increasing the risk of such disasters. Scientists note that the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are experiencing faster ice melt due to rising global temperatures.