Nepal flood reconstruction bill to hit US$4.78 billion: Foreign ministry

KATHMANDU: The reconstruction bill after deadly floods sparked by a glacial mountain collapse that hit Nepal last month would amount to US$4.78 billion, the foreign ministry said on Friday (Sep 11).

The tsunami-like surge of water, mud and debris on Aug 26, which began on the China-Nepal border, killed more than 1,400 people and left some 5,600 missing.

"The total estimated requirement for reconstruction is approximately US$4.78 billion," Nepali foreign ministry spokesman Lok Bahadur Chhetri told reporters.

"Of this, approximately US$57.67 million is estimated to be required for short-term reconstruction and recovery over the next six months, while approximately US$4.71 billion is required for longer-term reconstruction."

Nepal's leaders say the Himalayan country needs long-term international support to adapt to a rapidly changing mountain environment.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah said earlier that Nepal must "strongly raise" with the international community the disasters it has experienced as a result of climate change.

Shah is expected to take his first foreign trip as leader to address the UN General Assembly on the urgent issue this month.

Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, contributes a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrialised nations.

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

Scientists say glaciers in the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are melting faster as global temperatures rise.

"Given the scale and extent of the damage, the government is also undertaking a comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment to determine the full extent of loss and damage and the requirement for recovery, rebuilding and reconstruction," Chhetri said.

A UN preliminary assessment estimated building damage from Nepal's floods at US$158 million alone, warning that total losses - including damage to roads and bridges, agricultural land and humanitarian costs - would be far higher.

Rescuers in Nepal have retrieved 1,385 bodies, while around 5,130 people are missing, according to the disaster agency on Friday. In China, the toll is 43 dead and 519 missing, according to state media.

The combined toll is 1,428 people dead and more than 5,649 missing, including around 800 foreigners, among them tourists and pilgrims.