Nepal's foreign minister, Shisir Khanal, announced last week that the country will request $20m (£15m) from the UN's loss and damage fund. This request is part of an estimated total rebuilding cost of around $5bn (£3.75bn) following a glacier collapse on the Nepal-Tibet border last month, which includes replacing up to 20,000 homes.
A new academic study linking the disaster to the climate crisis will be included in Nepal's application. Scientists at Imperial College London, collaborating with the World Weather Attribution project, found that atmospheric heating exacerbated several factors contributing to the glacier fall. While not the sole cause, fossil fuel pollution was determined to have destabilised the mountain environment's geology.
The disaster, which occurred three weeks ago, has resulted in at least 1,300 known fatalities and more than 5,000 missing individuals. Some of those missing are believed to be trapped in tunnels connected to 13 hydropower plants damaged by the floods. On Wednesday, four bodies were recovered from one of these tunnels, with searches continuing.
Nepal's leaders argue that other countries should contribute to its recovery, noting that Nepal is estimated to be responsible for less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, the likelihood of swift payment from the UN fund is low, as nearly 120 countries have submitted claims totalling almost $3bn (£2.2bn), far exceeding the fund's current estimated $400m (£300m).