FM Khanal urges int'l community for grant-based climate finance

Kathmandu, Oct. 2

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has urged the international community to provide Nepal with new, accessible and grant-based climate finance to help it cope with the crises caused by climate change.

Addressing the ‘Kathmandu Climate Week–2026’ in Kathmandu on Friday, he stressed that climate justice must not remain merely a slogan but must be translated into action.

"Climate change had become an existential challenge directly linked to Nepal’s development, agriculture, infrastructure, water security, public health, energy transition, financial stability and foreign policy," he said.

According to him, although Nepal’s contribution to creating the climate crisis is negligible, the Nepali people have been forced to bear a disproportionate burden. Climate justice means recognising this disproportionate burden and taking concrete steps to address it.

Minister Khanal said international support was needed for adaptation, technology transfer and institutional capacity development to minimise the damage Nepal was suffering as a result of climate change. He added that the Loss and Damage Fund, established to provide immediate financial resources to countries affected by climate-induced disasters, should not be constrained by complex administrative procedures.

“The disaster that struck our Himalayan valleys was like a Himalayan tsunami. The floods that arrived within minutes destroyed precious human lives, vital highways and bridges, clean hydropower infrastructure, and the foundations of communities’ livelihoods,” he said.

Likewise, FM Khanal said climate-induced disasters had created structural obstacles to Nepal’s development process, forcing the country to repeatedly divert its limited resources allocated for development towards post-disaster rescue, rehabilitation and reconstruction. Stressing the need to build development infrastructure with climate risks in mind, he said roads, bridges, transmission lines and urban settlements constructed today must be designed to withstand climate-related risks over the next 20 to 30 years.

He also stressed the need to bridge the gap between scientific research and policymaking. "Data generated through research on glacier melting and the condition of glacial lakes should be immediately translated into effective early warning systems," he said, while adding that such systems should be capable of delivering timely information to farmers and people living in remote and vulnerable settlements.

He further stressed the need to strengthen the capacity of government institutions for the effective utilisation of climate finance and to expand scientific cooperation with neighbouring countries, given the transboundary nature of climate risks. He said that real-time exchanges of water and weather-related data with neighbouring countries, free from political influence, were necessary to protect shared river systems and reduce disaster risks.

A climate diplomacy division had been established at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make Nepal’s role more effective in international negotiations on climate change. The structure would link Nepal’s domestic climate realities with international negotiations and make the country’s diplomatic efforts more integrated, consistent and proactive, he said.

“The credibility of international diplomacy depends on the effectiveness of our domestic implementation. While demanding accountability from the international community, we must also demonstrate equal seriousness in fulfilling our commitments and implementing them,” said FM Khanal.

 Published in The Rising Nepal on 3 October 2026.