Nepal, Sept. 29 -- The Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi-Trishuli disaster exposed how our risk is changing faster than our systems for understanding and managing it. It exposed the vulnerability of mountain communities, infrastructure and livelihoods. The disaster, therefore, needs to become a turning point in how Nepal understands and manages risk in the Himalaya.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah took this message to the United Nations last week. Describing the disaster as a warning to the world, he called for a Himalayan Climate Resilience Mechanism led by Nepal, India and China. He proposed sharing satellite data and expertise, monitoring dangerous glacial lakes, strengthening joint early-warning systems and coordinating assistance across borders.

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