After Himalayan tsunami, climate justice and mountain risk top Nepal's priorities at COP

Following the Himalayan tsunami, Nepal has made climate justice and Himalayan risk its top priorities at COP31, the climate conference being held in Turkey. The conference of parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change is being held in the city of Antalya from Kartik 23 to Mangsir 4, with co-host Australia chairing the intergovernmental negotiations.

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, the Nepali delegation will be led by Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal, with Environment Minister Gita Chaudhary also taking part. These issues have been given high priority following the flood that struck Rasuwa's Bhotekoshi on Bhadau 10.

According to Dr Dharmaraj Uprety, chief executive of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority, that flood damaged hydropower projects with a combined capacity of more than 748 megawatts and over 100 kilometers of the Mitheri Bridge–Betrawati national highway. The Authority's preliminary assessment puts reconstruction costs at about $4.78 billion.

After the disaster, the government wrote to the loss and damage fund seeking support. At an interaction held in Kathmandu on Monday, former secretary Shankar Das Bairagi said $20 million had been approved from that fund.

According to former secretary Dr Pem Kandel, limiting the temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require about $7.5 trillion annually through 2030. Dr Sangeeta Singh, a professor at the Institute of Engineering, said the fund's money should be spent on research as well as reconstruction.