United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called on the global community to support Nepal and other countries that are bearing the brunt of climate change.

Talking to the media at Pokhara airport following the conclusion of a trip to the city, the visiting UN secretary general said, “It’s time to stop the looting and generating climate change because we must preserve these wonderful mountains and these wonderful glaciers.”

“And it’s essential to support Nepal and to support other countries that do not contribute to climate change but suffer the consequences.”

He further appealed to the international community to show effective solidarity that there is much more funding for adaptation, building resilience, protecting the communities, and that the loss and damage fund is finally put to work to the benefit of those populations.

“The reason for my visit was exactly to send a clear message to the world: It's essential to stop this war against nature,” he said.

Guterres, who arrived in Kathmandu on Sunday midnight on a four-day official visit, reached the Everest region on Monday morning to see firsthand the consequences of the climate crisis in the Himalayas and its impact on livelihoods.

He spoke to locals of ward 4 of the Khumbu Pasang Lhamu Rural Municipality in Solukhumbu district to understand how climate change has impacted their livelihoods and learn more about the multi-faceted impacts of climate change on their daily life. He was joined by senior officials from the UN and Nepal government.