UN, Nepal warn of climate threat after deadly floods

KATHMANDU: Nepal's foreign minister and the UN climate chief on Saturday (Aug 29) warned of the growing threat from global warming to the Himalayas, as rescuers race to find thousands missing after torrential flooding along the border with China.

The US Geological Survey said the disaster on Wednesday near the high-altitude border was caused by a glacial collapse that sent a torrent of debris downstream, with nearly 3,000 people missing and 682 confirmed dead.

While the exact cause of the collapse is unclear, climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, increasing the risk of such disasters.

Nepalese Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said he had spoken by phone with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, agreeing to increase the sharing of "real-time hydrological data", according to a statement.

Mr Wang, in a Chinese foreign ministry statement, said Beijing had "shared crucial information with Nepal, including disaster area imagery, satellite and hydrological data, as well as early warnings about upstream barrier lakes".

Mr Wang added that "China and Nepal are bound by mountains and rivers, sharing a common destiny".

Mr Khanal earlier told reporters that Nepal needed greater research to "understand the changing dynamics of the Himalayan ecosystem" and the risks they pose to the landlocked country, encircled by India and China.

That includes not only risks "to Nepal and the downstream community, but also to our northern neighbour, to China, as well", he said.