Nepal seeks global aid to establish multi-hazard early warning system

Kathmandu, Sept. 2

Nepal has called upon the international community to support in establishing an integrated, multi-hazard early warning system powered by modern information and communications technologies (ICT), satellite technologies, and artificial intelligence.

"Such a system would monitor risks across the Himalayas and downstream river basins, provide timely and accurate warnings, and ensure that alerts reach every vulnerable community through reliable last-mile connectivity, thereby enabling a shift from disaster anticipation to effective disaster response," Nepal's ambassador to Thailand and Permanent Representative to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) Dhan Bahdaur Oli said.

Speaking at the Fifth Session of the Committee on Information and Communications Technology, Science, Technology and Innovation held in Bangkok on Wednesday, he also encouraged ESCAP, UN agencies, other development partners, international financial institutions, and other stakeholders to support these technologies as shared regional digital public goods, backed by capacity-building, technology transfer, and predictable financing.

The session that will run till Friday is discussing the Asia-Pacific digital transformation landscape, the Action Plan for Implementing the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Initiative, 2027–2030, the Review of the Implementation of the Astana Ministerial Declaration on Digital Inclusion and Transformation in Asia and the Pacific, the Embassy of Nepal Bangkok informed in a statement.

On the occasion, Oli shared the current situation following the devastating disaster that occurred in Nepal on August 26, describing it as a 'Himalayan Tsunami' of an unprecedented magnitude, far greater than a conventional flood.

According to the embassy, he stressed that Nepal has been bearing the severe consequences of such disasters despite its negligible contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

He underscored the importance of resilient connectivity and robust digital infrastructure for a country like Nepal, particularly when conventional infrastructure is damaged or cut off. "In such circumstances, communication can make the difference between receiving a warning and receiving none, between locating those in need and losing contact with them, and between a coordinated emergency response and one that is severely constrained," said Oli. 

Published in The Rising Nepal on 3 September 2026.