Funding cuts weaken Himalayan disaster monitoring as climate risks grow

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Sitting on the floor of a makeshift shelter for survivors of Nepal's deadly recent floods, Tenzin Dolma Ghale said she had nothing left but the clothes she was wearing. Her entire village and members of her family were washed away by the surge of water and debris that killed over 1,450 people and left more than 6,000 missing. After speaking, she waved a hand and looked at the ground. “It’s all finished,” she said. Ghale is among millions of people living with the deadly consequences of climate-related disasters. As such disasters intensify, international climate adaptation and disaster preparedness aid programs have been slashed, leaving countries facing billions of dollars in avoidable damage and dwindling recovery funds. “The reality is that we need trillions of dollars every year, but developed countries have not met their obligation,” said Harjeet Singh, founding director of New Delhi-based Satat Sampada Climate Foundation. Aid cuts weaken disaster monitoring in Himalayas The Trump administration’s abrupt cuts to U.S. foreign aid in 2025 eliminated or