Nepal Estimates $4.78 Billion Needed For Flood Reconstruction After Glacial Disaster

Nepal has estimated that rebuilding after last month’s deadly floods, triggered by a glacial mountain collapse, could cost approximately $4.78 billion, the country’s foreign ministry said on Friday. The disaster, which struck on August 26, caused widespread destruction and highlighted the growing risks faced by Himalayan communities amid changing climate conditions.

Of the total estimated requirement, around $57.67 million is expected to be needed for short-term reconstruction and recovery during the next six months. The remaining $4.71 billion is projected to be required for long-term reconstruction, including rebuilding damaged infrastructure, restoring livelihoods and addressing the broader consequences of the disaster.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah is expected to raise the issue with the international community during his first foreign visit as Nepal’s leader. He will attend the United Nations General Assembly later this month and is likely to seek greater international support for Nepal’s recovery efforts and for measures to help the country adapt to climate-related disasters.

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Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said Shah would draw global attention to the repeated loss of life and property Nepal has experienced because of climate change and disasters associated with it. Nepal, a largely rural country of around 30 million people, contributes only a small share of global greenhouse gas emissions compared with industrialised nations.

The August 26 disaster began near the China-Nepal border and produced a tsunami-like surge of floodwater. More than 1,400 people were reportedly killed, while approximately 5,600 others remained missing. Although the precise cause of the glacial collapse has not been established, scientists have warned that rising global temperatures are accelerating glacier melt across the Himalayas and increasing the threat of sudden mountain-related disasters.

Nepal is also conducting a comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment to determine the full scale of the damage and the resources required for recovery and rebuilding. A preliminary United Nations assessment estimated damage to buildings alone at $158 million, while the overall losses are expected to be considerably higher after accounting for destroyed roads and bridges, agricultural land, disrupted livelihoods and humanitarian needs.

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