At the moment, the entire world is witnessing the colossal loss of life and infrastructure in Nepal caused by a devastating transboundary flash flood. The frequency and intensity of climate- induced disasters have risen rapidly in recent years, making it clear that the climate crisis has struck the very heart of the country over the last decade. The recent Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi flood stands as the most severe, claiming over 1,400 lives, with more than 5,000 people still unaccounted for. In its aftermath,
Nepal has been advocating strongly for climate justice across international forums.
To uncover the stories behind these eff orts, the HRM Nepal caught up with Sambridhi Gyawali, an entrepreneur, clean energy investor and climate advocate. As a climate advocate, she actively champions climate justice, the enhancement of adaptation capacity, and the expansion of impact investments. Excerpts:
How would you assess the recent transboundary flash flood in Nepal in the broader context of the accelerating climate crisis?
This is a new reality that Nepal has to live with. This flood not only presents a disaster management challenge, but it also questions the resilience of our infrastructure and highlights regional cooperation challenges. By that, I mean we must design and build for the climate era we are entering. Infrastructure, businesses, and communities all need to become climate-resilient. It is truly not just about managing this immediate catastrophe. We must be prepared to cope with the changing dynamics in the Himalayas.
This colossal disaster serves as a stark eye-opener to a new reality that demands climate resilience. Nepal must redefine its economic development roadmap, evaluating every policy through a climate- proof lens while accounting for the escalating impacts of global warming.
To what extent are rising temperatures, glacier melt and changing precipitation patterns increasing the risk of such extreme events in the Himalayas?
A warmer atmosphere holds more moisture, causing extreme weather events such as erratic and incessant rainfall. Warming also triggers the rapid melting of the Himalayas, glacier retreat, permafrost thaw, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), and mudslides, among other hazards. Alongside these glaciers, we are home to seven of the world’s highest peaks.
While global warming itself is beyond our immediate control, that does not mean we are powerless. We must build greater adaptive capacity and focus on minimising its adverse impacts. At the same time, it is important to recognise that not every single flood is caused by climate change. Floods occurred even before global temperatures began to rise. However, today’s climate-induced disasters are deeply interconnected, often producing cascading effects that form an integral part of the dynamic Himalayan risk system.
Nepal contributes very little to global greenhouse-gas emissions but faces disproportionate climate impacts. What does climate justice mean in this context as you have an experience of being a part of climate negotiation teams?
Nepal’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is just 0.1%, yet we are disproportionately facing the harsh realities of climate change. For me, climate justice is obviously not about asking for
sympathy for Nepal. The fundamental imbalance must be recognized. Those who contribute the least to the problem are among those suffering the most severe consequences. Nepal deserves a voice not merely as a vulnerable country but as a nation demanding fairness in how the global climate transition is financed.
Secondly, Nepal should not only be known as a climate victim living under the threat of melting Himalayas and hanging glaciers. It should shine as a country with enormous clean energy potential. We must look toward decarbonisation and emissions reduction by promoting clean and renewable energy, positioning ourselves as an integral part of South Asia’s clean energy transition. The message must be clear. We did not create this crisis but we want to be part of the solution. The global system must support this initiative, which can fundamentally transform South Asia’s economic growth and development narrative.
What concrete forms of international support should climate-vulnerable countries like Nepal demand from high-emitting developed countries?
We urgently need accessible and predictable climate finance for adaptation and resilience because a country like ours lacks the capacity to deploy large chunks of funding for post-disaster reconstruction and recovery. This is precisely what we must demand from higher-emitting developed nations. At the same time, we must pursue technology transfer and cooperation to build robust early warning systems, spanning satellite surveillance, hydrological monitoring, and meteorological forecasting.
If a similar disaster strikes a developed nation, they can manage it with minimal loss due to the advanced preparedness and coping mechanisms they have built. In Nepal, we simply did not get the lead time or advance warnings necessary for early evacuation. Investing heavily in preparedness could significantly minimise such colossal losses. Regarding international support, I wish we had robust early warning systems to monitor risks and issue advance notifications, which would allow us to mitigate severe impacts in the future.
Does the existing international climate-finance mechanism adequately compensate countries suffering loss and damage from climate-induced disasters?
Of course not. The international climate finance mechanism does not adequately compensate countries like ours because true accessibility has
still not been achieved. The creation of the Loss and Damage framework and fund was an important political development, but establishing a mechanism is very different from ensuring that a country like Nepal can quickly access adequate resources following a catastrophe. No direct channel has been established for that purpose yet.
essential for strengthening our own resilience.
I want to reiterate that rather than seeking donations based solely on our vulnerability, we should approach the world to ask for investment support built around our value proposition. If international partners assist us in building a renewable energy infrastructure, it will generate vital revenue for Nepal while simultaneously driving decarbonisation across the wider region.
For a mountainous country, loss and damage is not merely about rebuilding roads, bridges, and other physical infrastructure. A comprehensive restructuring is needed. Entire communities have been displaced by floods and require new settlements, vast agricultural lands have been lost, cultural heritage sites have been washed away, access to healthcare and education for flood victims remains uncertain, and overall livelihoods have been completely disrupted. Consequently, the local economies across affected districts are facing severe setbacks.
Beyond international advocacy, what immediate measures should Nepal take to reduce the risks posed by climate-induced floods, GLOFs and other Himalayan hazards?
We have been engaging in advocacy. At the same time, we must do more than that. First, we need
real-time monitoring of the Himalayas, glaciers, rivers, and rainfall, everything that could potentially trigger a hazard. Second, we need comprehensive climate risk mapping for vulnerable settlements, and the government must formulate and execute policies based on this data. Third, we have to reinforce critical infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals, schools, and communication networks, so that it can withstand future extreme climate events.
Developing Nepal’s hydropower and solar energy potential will enable us to drive regional decarbonisation while creating local jobs and generating revenue
Against this backdrop, the speed, predictability, and ease with which funds reach these vulnerable communities are crucial factors. However, those mechanisms remain undefined and unexecuted, making timely financial support feel like a far-fetched dream for the affected populations.
What should Nepal seek at the international level – compensation, adaptation finance, technology transfer, early-warning systems, or stronger transboundary cooperation?
Along with these steps, we must foster stronger coordination among federal, provincial, and local governments for disaster preparedness and management. When discussing preparedness, the necessity of investing in science and data naturally arises, alongside regional cooperation with other Himalayan countries. We cannot manage a rapidly changing Himalayan environment using outdated maps and historical assumptions. Unfortunately, we do not even possess factual, consolidated data on the impacted communities. Local government data needs to be systematically shared with provincial and federal authorities.
Climate disasters cause unavoidable losses, making adaptation essential to prepare before disaster strikes. We require advanced technology and surveillance systems to analyse changes in the mountains and mitigate risks. A robust early warning system can save the lives of vulnerable communities. Naturally, we need stronger transboundary cooperation, as snow-fed rivers originating in the Himalayas flow downstream across shared international borders.
Ultimately, we remain helpless to prevent the rapid melting of the Himalayas unless the global community keeps its promises and fulfils its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). Nepal’s climate story must evolve from vulnerability to resilience, and from resilience to clean energy leadership in the region, a journey in which the global community must unite to support Nepal.
What I believe is absolutely vital, however, is investing in a clean energy economy. As we aspire to become a strategic clean energy partner for South Asia, developing Nepal’s hydropower and solar energy potential will enable us to drive regional decarbonisation while creating local jobs and generating revenue, outcomes that are crucial for a developing country like ours, and most importantly,
