Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah has urged the international community to act on climate change after last month’s devastating floods, calling the disaster a warning about the growing risks facing the Himalayan region.

Addressing the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Shah said rising global temperatures were destabilising the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. He said warming was melting glaciers and permafrost while increasing the threat of extreme disasters.

Nepal faced one of the worst disasters late last month after a tsunami-like flood struck following the collapse of a high-altitude glacial mountain along the Nepal-China border. More than 1,400 people died, while around 6,000 remain missing. The disaster has caused economic damage running into billions of dollars.

Scientists from World Weather Attribution have described the disaster as a “compound crisis”. Their assessment linked local geological instability with the effects of long-term warming, including glacier retreat and thawing permafrost.

"Nepal contributes less than 0.1 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. We did not create this crisis, yet we are paying for it," Shah said.

Shah called for greater international support to help Nepal adapt to climate change. He said the country could not deal with the growing risks on its own. "Nepal cannot build resilience alone against a crisis made worse by the failure of global governance," he said.

The Nepalese prime minister also proposed a “Himalaya Climate Resilience Mechanism”. The proposed framework would involve Nepal, India and China. It would promote sharing of satellite data and technical expertise, monitor glacial lakes and improve joint early warning systems across the Himalayan region.

The disaster has also shifted climate diplomacy closer to the centre of Shah’s six-month-old premiership. The 36-year-old former rapper came to power after youth-led anti-corruption protests, with promises of political change. The scale of the floods has now placed climate resilience high on his government’s agenda.

Nepal has sought $20 million from the UN’s Loss and Damage fund, the maximum amount it can request. The demand remains far below the estimated cost of the disaster. A preliminary government assessment has put the damage at around $5 billion.

The Loss and Damage fund was created in 2022 after devastating floods in Pakistan. It has not yet made its first payment. Nepal’s request is therefore being closely watched as a test of the fund’s ability to provide assistance to countries facing severe climate-related disasters.

The United States earlier this week announced an additional $31 million in flood recovery assistance for Nepal. Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said the G7 had also informally promised support during a meeting on Wednesday. Britain has separately pledged assistance.