Kathmandu — Nepal became the first South Asian country to sign the Himalayan Climate Resilience Accord on Thursday, joining twelve nations in a landmark agreement to fund glacier monitoring, early-warning flood systems, and carbon-offset programmes across mountain communities.
Prime Minister Shekhar Koirala called the accord "a turning point for thirty million Nepalis who live on the front line of the climate crisis." The deal unlocks an initial $480 million over five years, channelled through a newly created Himalayan Resilience Fund administered jointly by the UN Environment Programme and the Government of Nepal.
Environmentalists broadly welcomed the agreement but cautioned that implementation would be the real test. "Funding pledges have come and gone before," said Anjana Shrestha of the Climate Justice Nepal coalition. "We will be watching every disbursement." The accord is expected to be tabled in parliament next month for formal ratification.