Prime Minister Balendra Shah is preparing to travel to New York to participate in the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly. Barring any unforeseen circumstances, his participation is certain, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already begun preparations. The visit comes in the aftermath of the devastation caused by the recent Bhotekoshi flood, a disaster widely linked to the growing impacts of climate change. For that reason, the Prime Minister’s visit should not be limited to a routine diplomatic engagement at the United Nations. The devastation caused by the Bhotekoshi flood and the humanitarian crisis that has followed have attracted the attention of the media around the world. It is against this backdrop that Prime Minister Shah will attend the General Assembly. His voice and his presentation at this global forum could carry considerable weight. The catastrophic flood that struck the Bhotekoshi corridor on August 26 has once again reminded Nepal—and the world—that climate change is no longer a threat confined to the future. It is a harsh reality of the present. The flood has caused enormous loss of life and property. Homes, roads, bridges, hydropower projects, commercial facilities, and local infrastructure have been destroyed. Yet the true scale of the disaster cannot be measured by physical damage alone. The cost of displacement, lost livelihoods, disrupted businesses, psychological trauma, and uncertainty about the future is likely to be far greater. For this reason, neither Nepal nor the international community can afford to dismiss the Bhotekoshi disaster as simply another natural calamity. This time, Nepal must put a fundamental question before the world’s most powerful nations: Why is Nepal, a country that has contributed so little to the climate crisis, being forced to pay such a devastating price for it?
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The United Nations General Assembly is an appropriate forum for raising this question. It is not merely an irony but a profound global injustice that people in countries that have contributed the least to climate change are often among those suffering its most severe consequences. This is neither fair nor acceptable. Last week, world-renowned climate activist Greta Thunberg’s expression of solidarity with Nepal following the disaster brought this issue into the international spotlight. In a recent Instagram post, she delivered a clear message that Nepal deserves climate justice, arguing that what Nepal needs is climate justice and compensation—not pity. Her statement is more than an expression of sympathy from a prominent activist; it reinforces the moral foundation of Nepal’s claim for climate justice. Nepal should not approach the international community with an outstretched hand, simply asking for relief and assistance. It should raise the question of responsibility and present its case with confidence and conviction. Nepal’s contribution to global carbon emissions is extremely small. By contrast, major economies that have accumulated enormous wealth through industrialization and the widespread use of fossil fuels have emitted vast quantities of greenhouse gases for decades. Yet countries such as Nepal—vulnerable nations with minimal emissions—are now bearing a disproportionate share of the consequences. Unless this fundamental imbalance is addressed, the global pursuit of climate justice will remain incomplete. Prime Minister Shah should therefore use the United Nations platform not to plead for aid, but to present the realities faced by Nepal and other mountainous countries as a result of climate change. He should make a strong and unequivocal case for climate justice.
Nepal needs long-term investment in climate-resilient infrastructure, effective early-warning systems, scientific monitoring of glaciers and glacial lakes, and the safe resettlement of communities exposed to climate-related risks. International support and cooperation are essential to achieving these goals. Regional cooperation is even more critical, given the interconnected nature of the Himalayan ecosystem and the risks facing countries across the region. At the General Assembly, Nepal must present its arguments and demands with facts, evidence, and credible data. The damage caused by the Bhotekoshi flood, the estimated cost of reconstruction, Nepal’s negligible contribution to global emissions, and the rapidly increasing climate risks facing the Himalayan region should be brought together in a comprehensive document and presented to world leaders. Nepal should also make a compelling case for global cooperation to protect the entire Himalayan region. The success of the Prime Minister’s visit should not be measured solely by the number of concrete commitments he brings back. It should also be judged by whether he succeeds in creating an international environment conducive to meaningful support and, above all, by how effectively he communicates Nepal’s concerns and demands to the world. No one can afford to allow the Bhotekoshi disaster to become merely a few days of headlines in the national and international media before being forgotten. The humanitarian, economic, and social consequences of the disaster will endure for years, perhaps decades. Nepal must therefore seize this moment to turn the climate-driven disaster in the Bhotekoshi region into a defining moment for its climate diplomacy. The country should use this tragedy to place the broader challenges facing mountain communities at the center of the international climate agenda. In New York, Prime Minister Balendra Shah should be able to tell the world clearly: Nepal does not seek to obstruct global economic prosperity or development. But why should countries like Nepal have to bear the cost of prosperity built elsewhere? The message should be unequivocal: Nepal does not want pity. Nepal wants justice. The suffering of Bhotekoshi is proof of why.
