Kathmandu – For communities living in the Himalayas, climate change is no longer a distant warning. Changing weather patterns, damaged infrastructure, disrupted livelihoods and sudden disasters are already threatening settlements across Nepal.
The devastating floods that struck the Rasuwa–Bhote Koshi region on August 26, 2026, damaged transport links and infrastructure and disrupted communities and cross-border trade. The disaster has sharpened Nepal’s demands for international climate support.
As COP31 opens in Antalya, Türkiye, on November 9, Nepal is pressing four priorities: a dedicated mountain agenda, support for loss and damage, accessible climate finance and climate justice.
What is COP31 and why does it matter to Nepal?
COP is the annual Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The 2015 Paris Agreement committed countries to hold warming well below 2°C and pursue efforts to limit it to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
COP31 runs from November 9 to 20, 2026. Nepal contributes relatively little to global greenhouse gas emissions but faces serious risks from warming glaciers, floods, landslides and changing rainfall, with consequences for agriculture, hydropower and mountain livelihoods.
1. A dedicated mountain agenda
Nepal and Bhutan have jointly proposed an item titled “1.5°C Warming in Mountains” for the COP31 agenda. They are seeking stronger scientific assessments, regular high-level dialogue, a dedicated UN climate Mountain Work Programme and better integration of mountain priorities into adaptation and finance mechanisms.
Himalayan rivers sustain communities well beyond Nepal’s borders. Changes to snow, glaciers and mountain ecosystems can affect water security, food production, energy and livelihoods across South Asia.
2. Loss and damage support
Nepal is seeking faster, more accessible international assistance for disasters whose consequences exceed vulnerable countries’ capacity to prevent or manage them. The August 2026 Rasuwa disaster has made the issue particularly urgent.
The draft briefing cites an October 2026 World Bank update estimating US$1.66 billion in direct physical damage, US$2.7 billion in wider economic and livelihood effects and US$4.8 billion in recovery and reconstruction needs. These figures are reported as estimates in the briefing and should not be treated as final audited losses.
Nepal has also sought emergency support from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary has referred to a provisional US$21.6 million allocation, which is distinct from the disaster-related request. Nepal argues that such assistance must reach affected communities without prolonged delays.
3. Accessible climate finance
Nepal wants adequate, predictable funding for early-warning systems, safer infrastructure, resilient agriculture and climate adaptation. Complicated applications, slow disbursement and debt concerns make access to international finance difficult.
The briefing says Nepal has been permitted to submit three Adaptation Fund project proposals totalling approximately US$45 million. Permission to submit proposals is not approval or disbursement of funding.
Nepal is also calling for more grant-based support and greater involvement of women, Indigenous Peoples, Dalits, young people and local communities in climate finance decisions.
4. Climate justice
Nepal argues that countries with low historical emissions should not bear a disproportionate burden of climate-related destruction. It is seeking fairer access to finance and technology, stronger representation for vulnerable nations and shared international responsibility for protecting mountain ecosystems.
Building alliances for the mountain agenda
Nepal, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan and Pakistan are jointly hosting a high-level event on glaciers, the cryosphere, resilience, shared responsibility and sustainable financing.
Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal is leading Nepal’s delegation, which also includes Minister Gita Chaudhary, National Planning Commission member Professor Dr Sanjaya Acharya and ministry secretary Dr Rajendra Prasad Mishra, according to Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
What Nepal expects from COP31
For Nepal, the conference’s success will depend less on declarations than on whether mountain issues receive sustained attention and whether financial commitments lead to timely support for communities facing climate risks.
The central message is that protecting the Himalayas is not solely the responsibility of mountain countries. Its consequences extend across borders, and Nepal wants global cooperation to reflect that shared responsibility.
Illustration: AI-generated graphic depicting climate risks; not a documentary photograph of the Bhote Koshi flood.
