Nepal inaugurated its official pavilion at the COP31 climate conference in Antalya, Turkiye, on Monday, using the opening day to press its case for mountain regions, loss-and-damage support and faster climate finance. Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal opened the pavilion, which will showcase Nepal's climate ambitions, biodiversity achievements and community-led adaptation work during the conference, which runs until 20 November.

Addressing the ceremony, Khanal urged global action over fragile Himalayan ecosystems, warning that rapid changes to the mountain cryosphere threaten millions of people downstream. He described the floods that struck the Bhote Koshi river in August as a Himalayan tsunami and said vulnerable nations carry a disproportionate burden from climate disasters. He called for global solidarity, direct access to the Loss and Damage Fund and stronger partnerships for regional climate resilience.

Four priorities, one mountain agenda

Nepal is pressing four priorities at the conference: a dedicated mountain agenda, support for loss and damage, accessible climate finance and climate justice. Together with Bhutan, Nepal has proposed an agenda item titled 1.5C Warming in Mountains, seeking stronger scientific assessments, regular high-level dialogue and a dedicated UN climate Mountain Work Programme. Nepal, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Bhutan and Pakistan are jointly hosting a high-level event on glaciers, the cryosphere, resilience and sustainable financing.

The August floods sharpened Nepal's demands. The disaster in the Rasuwa-Bhote Koshi region on 26 August damaged transport links and infrastructure and disrupted communities and cross-border trade. A briefing cited in reporting on Nepal's position refers to an October World Bank update estimating 1.66 billion US dollars in direct physical damage, 2.7 billion dollars in wider economic and livelihood effects and 4.8 billion dollars in recovery and reconstruction needs, presented as estimates rather than final audited losses. Nepal has also pointed to a provisional 21.6 million dollar allocation from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, and says assistance must reach affected communities without prolonged delay.