KATHMANDU, Sept 23: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has drawn global attention to Nepal’s recent disaster as an illustration of the growing impacts of the climate crisis.
Addressing the opening of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Guterres said mountain countries, including Nepal, were among those bearing some of the heaviest impacts of rising global temperatures. He warned that increasing temperatures would bring further hazards, including accelerated glacier melt.
Guterres also recalled the warning he issued during his visit to Nepal three years ago about the rapid melting of glaciers in the Himalayas.
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“Three years ago, in the mountains of Nepal, I sounded the alarm on accelerating glacier melt, warning that the rooftops of the world are caving in,” he said. He noted that some had dismissed the warning at the time as overstated, but said recent events had shown that climate impacts were arriving sooner, hitting harder and spreading further than many had anticipated.
He said climate change was no longer merely a concern for the future but a present reality, with countries that have contributed relatively little to global emissions bearing some of the heaviest consequences.
Guterres argued that countries responsible for the largest share of pollution should bear greater responsibility for addressing its consequences, while vulnerable countries facing the impacts deserved greater support and climate justice.
“There is not an adequate budget in the dedicated fund for loss and damage,” he said, urging developed countries to honor their climate finance commitments.
He also called on developed countries to triple adaptation finance and mobilize additional resources for the Loss and Damage Fund.
His remarks come as Nepal seeks greater international support for climate adaptation and recovery following the devastating Bhotekoshi disaster, which has intensified calls for climate justice and increased international assistance.
