Nepal seeks emergency Loss and Damage Fund financing after Bhotekoshi floods

Nepal is asking the international climate finance system for emergency help after floods in the Bhotekoshi River basin overwhelmed the country’s ability to respond.

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Geeta Chaudhary sent a joint letter on Monday to the co-chairs of the Loss and Damage Fund board. The request followed a special government meeting on the loss of life and property caused by the floods.

Maheshwar Dhakal, who leads the Climate Change Management Division at the agriculture and environment ministry, said the government used a special decision to seek immediate support. He said the fund’s regular 10th board meeting is scheduled for December, but Nepal cannot wait that long. “The scale of the damage caused by the floods is far beyond Nepal’s domestic resources and immediate response capacity,” Dhakal said. “Our main request is for emergency support to be provided now through a special decision.”

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The scale of the damage caused by the floods is far beyond Nepal’s domestic resources and immediate response capacity.

Nepal described the flooding as an extreme climate-related disaster originating in the high Himalayan region. Search, rescue, relief and rapid damage assessments remain underway. Authorities have not completed a full assessment of the economic and non-economic losses, but preliminary information indicates damage beyond the country’s capacity to manage.

The government also emphasized the river system’s transboundary character. It said hazards such as melting snow in the high Himalayas can trigger sudden crises downstream, affecting food, energy, health, infrastructure, ecosystems and human security. Nepal said it contributes almost nothing to global greenhouse gas emissions while suffering disproportionate climate impacts, and urged the fund to make a rapid, direct and effective decision to protect communities, restore essential services and prevent further humanitarian suffering.

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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.