Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said rapid Himalayan glacier melt is threatening water security not only in Nepal but across South Asia. Speaking recently to the media, he said China, the United States and India, described as major greenhouse-gas emitters, have a historical responsibility to compensate climate-vulnerable countries such as Nepal.

Nepal has requested emergency financial assistance from the UN-led Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. The country is seeking money for immediate relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction after floods hit Rasuwa, Nuwakot and nearby areas particularly hard. Several hydropower projects have been disrupted, workers remain missing, and rescue operations have been complicated by rugged terrain, debris and damaged roads.

The government’s preliminary assessment indicates rebuilding damaged infrastructure could require several billion dollars, while the finance minister had previously put reconstruction costs at $4 billion to $5 billion. USGS said the August 26 disaster began with a rapid slope collapse that triggered a destructive debris flow and flooding. Nepal plans to raise its case more strongly at international climate conferences and UN forums, calling for equitable financing for climate-related losses.