Concept Note on round table discussion organized between UNepal and FIPMO on 8 Sept 2026

Concept Note

The University of Nepal (UNepal) and the Former International Professionals of Multilateral Organizations (FIPMO)

 will jointly convene a High-Level Discussion titled:

"Disasters Without Borders: Nepal’s Voice on Loss, Damage, and Himalayan Survival."

1. Context

Nepal’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is negligible, accounting for approximately 0.1% of the global total (with some estimates placing it as low as 0.025% to 0.03%). In 2024, Nepalese citizens emitted approximately 1.6 to 2 tonnes of  per capita, ranking Nepal among the lowest emitters globally.

Despite this minimal contribution, Nepal stands on the frontlines of global warming, facing accelerating glacier retreat, sudden glacial lake outburst floods, compound landslides, and the frequent destruction of critical infrastructure. The Himalayas store water that sustains millions downstream.  However, the country endures a crisis it did not create, with its economy repeatedly battered by extreme climate events. The country urgently requires robust systems to document economic and non-economic loss and damage, as well as measures to protect and empower vulnerable populations-particularly women, children, and senior citizens, who bear the brunt of these impacts. This crisis is not unique to Nepal; neighboring Himalayan nations face similar threats that severely impact human lives and livelihoods across the region.

The recent disaster in the Rasuwa-Nuwakot-Trishuli corridor is a tragic testament to this reality. the death toll has reached 1,357 with  an estimated 5,326 people still missing, and roughly 84,270 people across 17 municipalities-including more than 32,000 children-have been affected. The devastation caused by the recent glacial avalanche is the direct consequence of rapid, elevation-dependent warming-a stark symptom of the international failure to collectively curb global emissions.

This is no longer merely a local environmental management issue. It is a matter of global accountability. Nepal cannot continue to absorb the costs of global inaction. NDRRMA estimate approximately Rs 400 billion in losses from the Bhotekoshi floods alone. To bridge the gap between global climate commitments and the country’s realities, the roundtable discussion will focus on five critical pillars:

• Direct Loss & Damage Compensation: The Government of Nepal formally requested emergency financing from the United Nations-backed Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage on 1 September 2026. The request seeks rapid, grant-based funding to reach devastated communities in Rasuwa and Nuwakot immediately compensating for lost infrastructure, land, and livelihoods without saddling Nepal with sovereign debt.

• Infrastructure Protection & Risk Management: Nepal requires targeted technical and financial support to deploy real-time early warning systems across its river basins and construct climate-resilient infrastructure, ranging from bridges to hydropower facilities.

• Targeted Science & Disaster Attribution: Nepal calls on global scientific bodies to prioritize high-altitude monitoring across the country, utilizing attribution science to directly link localized mountain disasters to global emissions for legal and diplomatic leverage.

• Support for Local Adaptation: Nepal requests that international climate finance flow directly into Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs), empowering municipal governments and local communities to build grassroots resilience.

• Dedicated Representation for Vulnerable Mountain Nations: Nepal advocates for dedicated space and prioritized access within multilateral negotiating bodies to ensure its unique high-altitude vulnerabilities are explicitly recognized in global climate agreements.

To address these challenges, UNepal and FIPMO are jointly organizing a High-Level Roundtable Discussion on Sunday, 13 September 2026, from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM at UNepal, Uttar Dhoka, Lazimpat to formulate practical policy recommendations.

2. Objectives

• Formulate a concise set of high-level, actionable recommendations for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and other relevant institutions.

• Build a shared, evidence-based understanding of Nepal’s mountain and climate vulnerabilities, climate justice imperative, loss and damage frameworks, and the rights of affected communities.

• Examine pathways for improved access to international climate finance, including dedicated loss and damage support, while strengthening Nepal’s scientific evidence base and climate diplomacy posture.

3. Participants

Invited participants will include senior officials from the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers, Members of Parliament, leadership from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), official from development partners, multidisciplinary experts, policymakers, gender specialists, and representatives from academia.

The tragedy in the Rasuwa-Nuwakot-Trishuli region serves as an urgent warning call from the Himalayan peaks a call echoed across neighboring mountain nations as Nepal joins hands with the global community to demand immediate climate action.