Following the severe flood and glacial runoff disaster in the border region of Tibet and Nepal, Development Minister Reem Alabali Radovan (SPD) has emphasized the critical need for climate adaptation. Speaking to the Funke media group, she stated that climate change heightens the risks posed by extreme weather events-not only in Nepal but also across the globe and even within Germany.
Radovan stressed that the focus cannot solely remain on reducing emissions. Instead, she noted, “We must also support countries and people in better protecting themselves against the consequences of climate change.” Her ministry is actively engaged in this effort, collaborating with partners on projects ranging from expanding renewable energy to maintaining fertile soil and water reservoirs, as well as building more resilient economic structures and communities. The SPD politician also expressed deep sympathies for the victims, stating her thoughts are with the relatives of those killed, injured, and the hundreds who remain missing, acknowledging the immeasurable human suffering and potential economic devastation the catastrophe represents for entire regions.
The Green Party’s Parliamentary Group Leader, Britta Haßelmann, labeled the event a “terrible tragedy” and urgently called on the Federal Government to provide assistance. She told the Funke newspapers that it is now paramount to send every possible piece of international aid to Nepal, asserting that the German government has a clear obligation to do so.
Haßelmann further elaborated that this tragedy represents “one of the many terrible faces of an increasingly escalating climate crisis.” She pointed out that the catastrophe in Nepal appears to have been caused by a glacial rupture leading to major debris flow and floods. This incident, she argued, illuminates the urgent and essential need for international state cooperation in combating the climate crisis.
Furthermore, Haßelmann critiqued the insufficient scope of national efforts, stating that it is not enough for the Chancellor merely to use the term “climate change.” She warned that if the government continues to promote what she called a “devastating anti-climate protection policy” (attributed to Katherina Reiche), it will be falling short of its most important mandate: ensuring a future and livelihood for succeeding generations and protecting people from harm.
