Nepal's Floods Were a 'Warning to the World', PM Tells UN

Nepal's Prime Minister Balendra Shah told the United Nations on Thursday that catastrophic floods which struck the country last month served as a "warning to the world" about escalating climate risks in the Himalayan region.

Addressing the gathering, Mr Shah said that rising global temperatures were accelerating the melting of glaciers and permafrost across the Himalayas, intensifying the threat of extreme flooding events like the one Nepal experienced.

The prime minister called for greater international support to help Nepal adapt to climate threats that he said the country could not confront alone. He framed the floods as evidence of the disproportionate impact that climate change is having on mountainous and geographically vulnerable nations.

Nepal, home to some of the world's highest peaks and largest glacial systems, has repeatedly warned that melting ice and shifting weather patterns are increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters in the region, including floods and glacial lake outburst events.

Mr Shah's remarks add to a growing chorus of leaders from climate-vulnerable countries urging wealthier nations to scale up funding and technical assistance for adaptation efforts, particularly in regions where the effects of climate change are already being felt acutely.