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Nepal is set to send a significantly smaller team to 30th UN Climate Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil. The conference will be held from Nov 10 this year. Environment Secretary Rajendra Prasad Mishra told ApEx that negotiations are ongoing to decide the representatives.

The decision comes in line with the Sept 21 Cabinet meeting, led by interim Prime Minister Sushila Karki, to curb non-essential overseas travel and limit official delegations. To cut government expenses, the government has capped heads of state or government-led delegations at 10 members and limited other government-sponsored teams to only three members.

The choice also shows Nepal’s political instability following the abrupt political change brought about by the GenZ protests that led to the fall of the KP Oli government. The new government is now tasked with rebuilding scores of government buildings, as well as fixing the infrastructure damaged in recent floods and landslides.

When Nepal first started going to UN climate talks in 1995, it had just two delegates, while the United Kingdom and United States had 19 and 27 respectively. Its delegations expanded incrementally over the years. Sixty-nine delegates attended COP26 in Glasgow and, at COP20 in Lima, the government was reprimanded for sending a ‘jumbo delegation’ on limited resources.

A 2024 ApEx report revealed that Nepal’s delegation missed 68 out of the 392 sessions at COP29 because of overworked negotiators. Organizational shortcomings aside, Nepal has used the COPs to lead mountains and climate justice causes. At COP29 in Baku, Nepal sent its high-level team led by President Ramchandra Paudel, where Nepal emphasized mobilizing climate finance, protecting mountain habitats, and triggering the Loss and Damage Fund.

The delegation also pushed for an annual financing target of $1.3trn for developing countries, gave highest priority to mountain‑specific risk exposures, and made appeals for finance for adaptation and technology transfer. President Paudel called for the reallocation of military expenditures to climate efforts, made calls for grants‑based climate finance and the polluter‑pays principle, and asserted that saving the Himalayas is saving the planet.

Nepal also organized a ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ dialogue on mountain resilience in May this year.

Analysts note that although the agendas of Nepal have become more expansive, its bargaining power has not increased. The new ‘small’ negotiation team may therefore push the government to concentrate on core issues such as climate finance, adaptation and mountain conservation and eliminate ceremonial or non‑technical members.

Meanwhile, Brazil’s hosting of COP30 in the city of Belém in the Amazon region has created an accommodation crisis. Reuters reports that Belém hotel rates have risen between $150 and $4,400 a night, and some developing nations could not secure a room.

Latvia climate minister Kaspars Melnis said that the expense is prohibitive and that his nation is considering whether to attend via video link. Lithuania has even talked about boycotting the summit on the same grounds, and the Alliance of Small Island States is concerned that reducing delegations will result in priceless expertise being lost.

African delegates have told Reuters that they have been quoted $700 a night, a far higher sum than the UN daily allowance. In response, the UN International Civil Service Commission has increased the subsistence daily allowance for 144 developing countries from $144 to $197. Brazil has offered restricted available rooms up to $220 a day for developing countries, but with only approximately 18,000 hotel beds for an estimated 45,000 participants, demand outstrips supply.

The cost crisis provoked a wider backlash. During an emergency session in July, the UN climate office listened to complaints from the African group and others. The group chairperson, Richard Muyungi, told Reuters that poor nations cannot cut delegations and make themselves heard. Nevertheless, some wealthier EU states, like the Netherlands and Poland, have said that they might halve or drastically reduce their delegations, with Polish officials warning that they might cut the delegation to the bone or stay away altogether.

With Nepal looking at its COP30 participation, it must juggle local austerity, global cost pressures and the imperative of good representation. An experienced-officer austerity-cut delegation aligns with former Environment Secretary Deepak Kumar Kharal’s proposal of a full-time negotiation team but risks Nepal’s voice in a platform where the more, the merrier is the motto.

Large rates of accommodation in Belém and Nepal’s internal budget crisis also put additional constraints. The ability of the interim government to balance these competing pressures will make or break Nepal’s climate diplomacy and its ability to attract financial and technical aid for its poor hill communities.

At least 46 people lost their lives in the monsoon-induced disasters.

As per the details of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority as of this afternoon, six people went missing across the nation and 24 were injured from monsoon-induced disasters. 

However, the Armed Police Force Nepal shared that a total 55 people died so far from monsoon-induced disaster and road accidents during this period.  

Thirty-seven people died in landslides in Ilam of Koshi Province as well as human casualties were recorded in other districts of the Province-- Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari and Udayapur due to landslide and inundation.

Likewise, the Nepal Army rescued 19 people who were at the risk of natural disaster using helicopters during the period. Assistant Spokesperson at the APF Nepal, Shailendra Thapa, shared that as of Sunday night, 49 people died, one went missing and 17 injured in 22 different incidents including road accidents in Koshi Province alone. 

Total 490 households were affected due to inundation at Jhapa Rural Municipality in Jhapa and 1,664 people were shifted to safer places. Similarly, 105 houses were inundated at Gaurigunj of Jhapa.

Life in Koshi Province has started returning to normal gradually. The province had recorded the highest human casualties due to landslide, flood following incessant rainfall. 

Chiefs of security bodies of Koshi Province said the security bodies had carried out rescue operations keeping the citizens' life on top priority. 

NA had rescued those who were trapped in Island of Jhapa and pregnant women from Panchthar and Sankhuwasabha by helicopter. Efforts are underway to resume vehicular movement on the obstructed highways.

A team comprising Home Minister Om Prakash Aryal could not go to Ilam for onsite inspection as roads are blocked at seven different places due to landslides and floods. 

Though a team from Kathmandu was scheduled to visit Ilam, it was not possible due to road obstruction, mentioned Koshi Province Chief of APF Nepal, Deputy Inspector General Kumar Neupane.

Korala checkpoint has been developed as a tourist destination since the last few years.

The number of domestic tourists visiting the Korala border point has started increasing every year due to easy and smooth vehicular movement along national pride projects (Beni-Jomsom-Korala). 

Korala check point is located at 4,610 meters above the sea level.

Of the total number of domestic tourists who reach Muktinath and Mustang, 50 percent of them used to visit the Korala checkpoint.   

The domestic tourists used to visit the Upper Mustang and Korala check points after paying homage to Muktinath temple. 

However, the foreign tourists who get permission to visit the Upper Mustang area after paying USD 500 are not allowed to reach the border point. 

The foreign tourists could not cross the APF's Border Outpost located at Lomanthang-2 due to security sensitivity.

According to the District Police Office, the number of tourists visiting Mustang has increased after the Dashain festival despite forecasts of adverse weather. 

A total of 6,173 domestic tourists and 688 foreign tourists entered Mustang in two days (October 3 and 4), said Deputy Superintendent of Police at the District Police Office, Tshering Kippa Lama. 

Similarly, 2,217 vehicles entered Mustang during the same period. 

In-charge of the APF Border Out Post, Nhechung, Police Inspector Bishnu Hari Thapa, shared that the number of domestic tourists visiting the Nepal-China northern check point, Korala checkpoint, has increased remarkably after Dashain.  

He added that 1,500 domestic tourists had visited Korala checkpoint daily on October 3 and 4 as well as 1,702 domestic tourists entered the Korala border point on October 5. A total of 126 four wheelers and 224 two-wheelers had reached the APF's check post at Nhechung, stated Thapa. 

People reaching Korala checkpoint have been found facing health issues due to cold and high-altitude. 

Arrangements have been made where the vehicles should enter the checkpoint at 7 am and exit at 4 pm from today onwards.  

Thirty-people, who were injured during the Gen-Z protests, are still receiving treatment at different hospitals across the country, as per the latest data obtained by the Ministry of Health and Population.

One injured person is undergoing treatment at Civil Hospital, 10 at National Trauma Center, three at KMC Hospital, five at Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital, three at Patan Academy of Health Sciences, one at Nepal Police Hospital and one at Kritipur Hospital.   

Similarly, three injured ones are receiving treatment at B&B Hospital, one at Birat Medical Teaching Hospital, one at Nobel Hospital and one at Pokhara Academy of Health Sciences, added the Ministry.  

The Ministry received the latest data while contacting and coordinating with different health institutions and provincial health emergency operation centers. 

A total of 2,316 injured people visited hospitals for treatment. Of them 2,238 were discharged after treatment. 

Likewise, 49 people lost their lives in the course of treatment at various hospitals and nine injured ones have so far received treatment service at Gen-Z clinic from September 28, according to the Ministry.