Nepal's Young PM Balendra Shah Faces First Major Test as Deadly Floods Expose Government’s Limits
The floods destroyed a key trade route with China and could cost billions in reconstruction, officials said.
- One week after Nepal's deadliest disaster since the 2015 earthquake, Prime Minister Balendra Shah has still not publicly addressed the nation as floods killed more than 1,000 people and left nearly 4,500 missing.
- Sweeping to power six months ago on promises of political change, Balen now faces his government's gravest test after a glacial collapse unleashed widespread catastrophe across the Himalayan nation.
- Kunda Dixit, publisher of the Nepali Times, noted the government's early response provided encouraging images, while Balen posted a message urging the country to "stand together" and visited disaster zones.
- Ashish Pradhan of the International Crisis Group criticized Shah's leadership style, saying, "He shies away from the cameras," while Kathmandu warns reconstruction costs could run into "billions of dollars," forcing prioritization of recovery over reform.
- The disaster coincides with the anniversary of last year's anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government, as Pradhan said Nepal may view climate change "as a national security imperative" given the scale of destruction.
11 Articles
11 Articles
The Economic Times
Times of IndiaNepal's young PM Balendra Shah faces first major test as deadly floods expose government’s limits
Nepal's prime minister faces his first major test after a glacial collapse disaster. This catastrophe killed over one thousand people and left thousands more missing. Reconstruction costs are estimated to be in the billions of dollars for the nation. The disaster threatens the prime minister's reform agenda and economic development plans. This event also highlights Nepal's environmental fragility and climate change challenges.
Radio France Internationale
Nepal's young PM faces gravest test after flood catastrophe
A huge wave of freezing water and debris killed more than 1,000 people and left nearly 4,500 missing, with Kathmandu warning reconstruction costs could run into the "billions of dollars". The Himalayan nation has limited resources to confront destruction on such a scale, and the disaster is stark warning of the dangerous fragility of its mountain environment in a rapidly heating world. But the August 26 disaster also came just ahead of the anniv…
Nepal PM links deadly Bhotekoshi flood to climate change
Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah said the Bhotekoshi flood in Rasuwa was triggered by a rock-ice avalanche. He said the disaster underlined mounting climate risks in the Himalayas and the need for a stronger global response.
Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah has said that the devastating floods that have devastated the northern parts of the country near the Tibetan border were caused by the climate crisis and has called on the international community to take action against climate change, while the damage in the Himalayan country is being assessed. In a statement on social media late last night, Prime Minister Shah said that the flooding of the Bhote Koshi River…
Nepal's PM Balen Shah has called the disaster a Himalayan tsunami. He said that the time has come to strongly raise the disasters we are facing as a result of climate change before the international community.
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