Kathmandu, August 31
The government has asked the Loss and Damage Fund to provide emergency financing immediately following the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi River basin.
Finance Minister Dr Swarnim Wagle and Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Geeta Chaudhary jointly sent an official letter to the co-chairs of the fund’s board on Monday, requesting an urgent decision to release financial support.
The request was made after the government held a special meeting to discuss the extensive loss of life and property caused by the floods.
Dr Maheshwar Dhakal, chief of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, said the government formally approached the fund through a special decision, citing the scale and urgency of the disaster.
The letter describes the Bhotekoshi floods as an extreme climate-related disaster originating in the high Himalayan region.
Dhakal said the government told the Loss and Damage Fund that the scale of the damage was far beyond Nepal’s domestic resources and its capacity to respond immediately.
“The scale of the damage caused by the floods is far beyond Nepal’s domestic resources and immediate response capacity,” Dhakal said. “The board’s regular 10th meeting is scheduled for December, but that would be too late for our needs. Our main request is for emergency support to be provided now through a special decision.”
The government has also highlighted the disaster’s impact on a sensitive transboundary Himalayan river system and its cascading effects on downstream communities far beyond the immediate flood-affected areas.
Search, rescue, relief and rapid damage assessments are still underway. Although a full assessment of the economic and non-economic losses is yet to be completed, preliminary information indicates that the impact is severe and beyond the country’s capacity to cope, according to Dhakal.
Nepal highlights climate justice
In its letter, Nepal has also emphasised the issue of climate justice, noting that the country contributes almost nothing to global greenhouse gas emissions but continues to face the disproportionate and devastating impacts of climate change.
The government said the Bhotekoshi disaster demonstrated how melting snow and other climate-related hazards in the high Himalayas can trigger sudden crises in densely populated downstream areas, affecting food, energy, health, infrastructure, ecosystems and overall human security.
The letter urges the Loss and Damage Fund’s board to take a “rapid, direct and effective” decision in accordance with its procedures, given the exceptional scale and severity of the disaster.
The government said immediate assistance would help protect affected communities, restore essential services and prevent further humanitarian suffering.
It also expressed confidence that timely support to Nepal could demonstrate how international solidarity with climate-vulnerable countries can be translated into concrete assistance during a crisis.
Nepal has told the Loss and Damage Fund it is ready to provide preliminary assessments, official data, satellite information and sector-wise damage details. It has also asked the board to coordinate with the government through a designated focal point.
