Nepal says the Bhotekoshi flood has overwhelmed its response capacity, urging the Loss and Damage Fund to approve emergency support before its December meeting.
The government has formally asked the Loss and Damage Fund to provide immediate emergency financial support following a devastating flood in the Bhotekoshi River Basin that caused major loss of life and property.
An official letter was sent Monday, August 31, to the co-chairs of the Fund’s Board. Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle and Agriculture, Forest and Environment Minister Geeta Chaudhary jointly signed it.
The decision was taken at a special government meeting following the disaster.
Dr. Maheshwar Dhakal, head of the Climate Change Management Division at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, said Nepal had formally requested immediate financial assistance through the special decision.
The letter describes the Bhotekoshi flood as an extreme climate-related disaster that began in the high Himalayan region.
Speaking at a stakeholder meeting organized by the ministry, Dhakal said Nepal had formally approached the Fund after determining that the scale of the damage was far beyond the country’s financial resources and immediate response capacity.
“The damage caused by the flood is far greater than Nepal’s internal resources and immediate response capacity. The Fund’s regular 10th Board meeting is scheduled for December, but that would be too late for our needs. Our main request is that the Board make a special decision and provide emergency support now. This would also send a positive message to the international community that the Board can respond quickly during disasters,” he said.
The government’s letter said the flood had severely affected a sensitive transboundary Himalayan river system, with impacts extending well beyond the areas directly hit by the disaster and reaching downstream communities.
Dhakal said search, rescue, relief and rapid damage assessment efforts were still underway. While complete figures for the economic and non-economic losses were not yet available, preliminary information indicated that the disaster was extremely serious and that the scale of damage was far beyond Nepal’s capacity to manage on its own.
The letter also highlighted the issue of climate justice, noting that Nepal contributes very little to global greenhouse gas emissions while continuing to face severe and unequal impacts from climate change.
The Bhotekoshi disaster has demonstrated how melting snow and ice in the high Himalayan region can rapidly trigger a major crisis in densely populated downstream areas. Such disasters can have consequences for water, food, energy, health, infrastructure, ecosystems and overall human safety.
In view of the complexity of the disaster and the humanitarian crisis, the government has asked the Loss and Damage Fund Board to make a special decision and deliver a fast, direct and effective response in accordance with its procedures.
The letter stressed that time was critical, saying immediate assistance would help protect affected people, restore essential services and prevent further humanitarian suffering.
The government also expressed confidence that supporting Nepal during the crisis would enable the Fund to demonstrate how international solidarity can translate into timely and practical assistance for countries vulnerable to climate-related disasters.
Nepal said it was fully prepared to provide initial assessments, official data, satellite information and details of damage across different sectors. It also asked the Board to immediately appoint a focal point to coordinate with the government.
