Nepal flood reconstruction bill to be US$4.78 billion, says foreign ministry

Nepal says nearly $7 billion is needed for it to recover from the deadly August 26 floods, arguing wealthier countries should treat the climate change-fuelled disaster as a "shared responsibility". KATHMANDU, Nepal (AFP) -- Nepal estimates the reconstruction bill after deadly floods sparked by a glacial mountain collapse last month will amount to US$4.78 billion, the foreign ministry said on Friday. Prime Minister Balendra Shah has vowed to "strongly raise" with the international community the disasters that Nepal has experienced as a result of climate change.

The August 26 catastrophe, a tsunami-like flood that began on the China-Nepal border, killed more than 1,400 people and left some 5,600 missing. Shah will take his first foreign trip as leader to address the UN General Assembly on the urgent issue later this month, the foreign ministry said. Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai told reporters on Friday Shah will address the UN to "draw the attention of the international community to the repeated loss of life and property Nepal has had to face, due to climate change and disasters created by it".

Nepal's leaders say the Himalayan country needs long-term international support to adapt to a rapidly changing mountain environment. "The total estimated requirement for reconstruction is approximately $4.78 billion," Nepali foreign ministry spokesman Lok Bahadur Chhetri told reporters. "Of this, approximately $57.67 million is estimated to be required for short-term reconstruction and recovery over the next six months, while approximately $4.71 billion is required for longer-term reconstruction." - Damage assessments - Nepal, a largely rural nation of 30 million people, contributes a fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to industrialised nations.

While the exact cause of the glacial collapse is unclear, climate change is causing glaciers to melt worldwide, increasing the risk of such disasters. Scientists say glaciers in the Himalayas, the world's highest mountain range, are melting faster as global temperatures rise. "Given the scale and extent of the damage, the government is also undertaking a comprehensive post-disaster needs assessment to determine the full extent of loss and damage and the requirement for recovery, rebuilding and reconstruction," Chhetri said.

A UN preliminary assessment estimated building damage from Nepal's floods at $158 million alone, warning that total losses -- including damage to roads and bridges, agricultural land and humanitarian costs -- would be far higher. Nepal rescuers are still excavating hydropower t…