Balendra Shah proposes Himalayan climate cooperation with India and China

The recent floods in Nepal highlighted the need for cross-border cooperation, according to BBC. Balendra Shah used his UN speech to warn about climate threats, according to BBC. He recalled August debris floods that struck Nepal, according to BBC. He proposed a mechanism to strengthen disaster response, according to BBC.

Shah called for a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism, according to BBC. The mechanism would share scientific data and expertise, according to BBC. He said the Himalayas should become a laboratory of cooperation, according to BBC. The proposal is still early stage, according to a senior foreign ministry official, according to BBC.

Neither India nor China has formally responded to the proposal, according to BBC. BBC contacted their foreign ministries for comment, according to BBC. The proposal faces challenges due to territorial disputes, according to BBC. India and China share a 3,500 km frontier with disputed claims, according to BBC.

Temperatures in the Himalayas rise faster than the global average, according to BBC. Glacier melt has accelerated, according to BBC. Glacial lake outburst floods risk increases, according to BBC. Rivers originating on the Tibetan Plateau flow through Nepal, India, Bhutan, according to BBC.

An International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development report found glacier loss doubled since 2000, according to BBC. Chinese Academy of Sciences director Kang Shichang noted 24% glacier shrinkage on Qinghai‑Tibet Plateau, according to BBC. Experts say glacier retreat can expand lakes and cause floods, according to BBC.