Nepal’s disaster reflects growing climate crisis: UN Secretary-General

Kathmandu: UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has drawn the world attention to the fact that recent disaster in Nepal had demonstrated the impact of climate crisis.

In the opening of 81st session of UN General Assembly in New York today, Secretary-General Guterres said that mountain countries, including Nepal, have suffered most owing to global temperature rise. The world will see further hazards with increasing temperature causing glacier melt, he warned.

The world leader also reminded the warning he had issued from Nepal to the world on fast melting of glaciers. “I’d issued warning three years back that the world roof was caving in,” he said, adding that there were some taking the warning as a stretch then.

But the present Bhotekoshi flood in Nepal has proved that the climate change impacts are quicker and more serious and more intense than expected. He further said climate change is not a concern merely for future but it has become a present reality.

But the countries having little role in global carbon emission are bearing the brunt, according to him. Secretary- General Guterres argued the countries responsible for pollution should pay the price and those at the receiving end deserve compensation and financial assistance.

“There is not adequate budget in the dedicated fund for loss and damage. I urge the developed countries to abide by their climate finance commitments,” the UN Secretary-General said, asking the world leaders and representatives at the UN General Assembly to increase finance for climate adaptation three fold and mobilize additional resource to the loss and damage fund.

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