Nepal highlights gaps in Himalayan disaster warning systems at COP31

Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal has called for more effective, reliable and community-centred early warning systems to reduce the loss of lives and property from climate-induced disasters.

Addressing a high-level event titled Early Warnings for All: Delivering on Our Promise to Protect Everyone on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Türkiye, Khanal said early warning systems were a critical safeguard for communities in the Himalayan region.

Sharing Nepal’s recent experience with climate-related disasters, he said early warning systems had sent millions of SMS alerts during the initial stages of the disaster, while downstream communities had also received locally issued warnings. However, these measures had not been sufficient.

Khanal highlighted gaps in high-altitude weather and climate observation systems in the geographically complex Himalayan region, calling for expanded real-time data collection and transmission, satellite-based systems and cryosphere monitoring.

He stressed that warnings must reach vulnerable communities on time through accessible channels and local languages, accompanied by preparedness and response measures before disasters strike.

The foreign minister also called for stronger cross-border data sharing and regional cooperation in line with Nepal’s Sagarmatha to Sea initiative, emphasising that climate risks required coordinated responses beyond national boundaries.

He urged the international community to ensure predictable, accessible and grant-based climate finance to strengthen protection for vulnerable communities, while calling for greater global solidarity and collective action against the cascading impacts of climate change.