The catastrophic flash flooding in Nepal last week was a tragic event. Many people were killed, villages wiped out and communities left devastated. This disaster clearly shows the growing effects of climate change and why we can no longer afford to ignore it. It was also an illustration of what climate change is already doing to the most vulnerable places on Earth.

Around the world, rising temperatures are intensifying extreme weather. In the Himalayas and other mountainous regions, warmer conditions are accelerating glacial melt and making landslides and sudden floods more frequent and severe. These events destroy homes, roads and livelihoods in places that have contributed the least to global greenhouse gas emissions.

Unfortunately, poorer countries like Nepal face the brunt of the crisis even though their historical greenhouse gas emissions are minimal. They lack the resources to fund the strong early-warning systems, resilient infrastructure and rapid recovery that wealthier nations often take for granted. The same pattern appears elsewhere.

Poorer countries like Nepal face the brunt of the crisis even though their greenhouse gas emissions are minimal

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

As we have seen in recent months and years, intense heat waves have gripped parts of Europe, Asia, Africa and North America, pushing temperatures to levels that would have been rare or nearly impossible without human-induced global warming. These heat waves have fueled widespread wildfires — particularly across Western Europe, Canada and parts of Southeast Asia — sending smoke across borders and forcing evacuations.

Furthermore, prolonged droughts in some regions have weakened harvests and strained water supplies. In other places, heavy rainfall has triggered flooding that overwhelms rivers and urban areas. These events are becoming more common and the result is greater loss of life, damaged economies and displaced communities

Nepal contributes a negligible share of global greenhouse gas emissions. Yet it sits on the front line of the impacts. The issue is that the countries that industrialized earliest and emitted the most cumulative carbon dioxide have built resilience, including robust emergency services, insurance markets, engineered flood defenses and diversified economies.

However, many lower-income nations have not. They face higher exposure and lower adaptive capacity. As a result, when a glacier collapses or a cyclone intensifies, the human and economic losses fall disproportionately on those least responsible for the warming.

Other ripple effects of climate change include that it is eroding food security, displacing communities, destroying livelihoods and straining public budgets in places that can least afford it. As a result, the poorest households within those countries suffer most.

Women, children, the elderly and outdoor laborers face elevated risks from heat, floods and failed harvests. Long-term effects include lost schooling, higher debt and forced migration.

Climate change knows no borders. A disaster in the Himalayas does not stay in the Himalayas. Instability, migration pressures, disrupted supply chains and humanitarian crises eventually reach every region. Helping poorer countries adapt and recover is therefore not pure altruism; it is enlightened self-interest. The same atmospheric physics that drives glacial collapse in Nepal will continue to amplify extremes everywhere until emissions fall sharply.

Climate change knows no borders. A disaster in the Himalayas does not stay in the Himalayas

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh

So, what should be done? First, the wealthiest nations have both the greatest historical responsibility and the greatest capacity to act. Concrete steps can include delivering to poorer nations increased climate finance so that they can be prepared and can adapt. This would allow vulnerable countries to reduce risks before the next disaster strikes through building early-warning systems, climate-resilient infrastructure and social safety nets.

We must also make sure that the communities facing irreversible impacts receive timely support for recovery and reconstruction without becoming more indebted. At the same time, it is important to accelerate the transition to clean energy.

In addition, it is important that wealthier nations assist poorer countries by sharing their technology, technical expertise and data. If there is rapid and coordinated aid after events like the Nepal floods, it can save lives and helps prevent secondary crises.

While some of these measures are already partially underway through UN processes, progress has lagged far behind the increasing risks of climate change. One critical issue is that the gap between pledged finance and actual delivery remains large. What we need is to match political will with scientific urgency.

Finally, the images from Nepal should not fade once the news cycle moves on. They are evidence of a planet whose climate system is being fundamentally altered by human activity. Ignoring the problem will not make it go away.

In a nutshell, the catastrophic events along the Nepal-Tibet border point to the growing effects of climate change. The international community — and especially the wealthiest nations — ought to support the poorer countries that are suffering the harshest effects of global warming despite contributing the least in terms of harmful emissions.

  • Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. X: @Dr_Rafizadeh