'Shared efforts imperative for addressing climate risk from Sagarmatha to sea'
Summary
Nepal has called for coordinated international action to address climate risk from the Himalayas to the sea, warning that mountain glaciers, river systems and coastal areas are increasingly interconnected by climate change. At a UN event in New York, Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal highlighted glacier loss in Nepal, rising sea levels and the need for stronger climate finance and loss-and-damage support.
Key Points
- Nepal urged collective and coordinated international efforts to tackle climate risk across mountains, freshwater systems and oceans as one interconnected climate system.
- Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal spoke at a UN Headquarters event on “Sagarmatha to the Sea: A Call to Action for a Climate-Resilient Future.”
- Khanal cited recent climate-related damage in Nepal, including a major collapse in the Langtang area, and warned of glacier loss, altered river flows and downstream impacts.
- He called for more climate finance, technology, capacity support and effective loss-and-damage funding, while noting Nepal’s own mitigation efforts such as forests, hydropower and electric vehicles.
