Nepal Seeks Climate Compensation From India, China and the US After Devastating Floods

Nepal has sought compensation from India, China and the United States for climate-related losses following devastating flash floods that have killed more than 1,000 people and caused widespread destruction across the Himalayan country.

The Nepalese government argues that major greenhouse gas emitters have a historical responsibility toward climate-vulnerable countries such as Nepal. Although Nepal has contributed very little to global warming, it is facing some of the most severe consequences of climate change.

Devastating flash floods struck Nepal on August 26. A massive surge of water, ice, rocks and debris, triggered by a glacial collapse in the Himalayan region, swept through communities in several districts, causing extensive damage to homes, roads, bridges and hydropower infrastructure.

According to the latest reports, more than 1,000 people have been killed and thousands remain missing. Rescue teams are continuing operations to reach areas that have been cut off by damaged roads and infrastructure.

Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said the international response should not be viewed solely as conventional humanitarian aid. He said compensation for countries affected by climate change must also be given serious consideration.

In an interview with Kantipur TV, Khanal said Nepal was changing its diplomatic approach to climate-related losses. Instead of focusing solely on “assistance,” the country is now seeking “justice and compensation.”

Khanal said Nepal’s contribution to global warming is negligible, yet the country is increasingly facing the consequences of climate change, including the rapid melting of glaciers and increasingly severe disasters in mountainous areas.

He said China, the United States and India are among the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitters and have a responsibility toward vulnerable countries such as Nepal because of their historical emissions.

“This is not a matter of charity; it is a matter of legal and moral responsibility,” Khanal said.

He added that Nepal would raise the issue more strongly at international forums dealing with climate change and loss and damage. In particular, he warned that the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers could pose a serious threat to water security across South Asia.

Khanal warned that the disappearance of Himalayan glaciers could pose a long-term threat to the water security of more than two billion people in South Asia who depend on rivers such as the Ganges and the Trishuli.

Meanwhile, Nepal’s Finance Ministry has formally raised the issue of climate compensation with international partners. The country has also sought urgent financial assistance from the Loss and Damage Fund, an international mechanism established to help developing countries cope with climate-related losses.

According to the Nepalese government, the recent floods caused extensive loss of life, displacement and damage to homes and critical infrastructure. The full scale of the financial losses has yet to be determined.

India’s Position on Climate Justice

India has long argued that developed and major-emitting countries have a historical responsibility for climate change.

New Delhi maintains that any assessment of responsibility for climate change should take into account countries’ historical carbon emissions, development needs and differing capacities to respond to climate impacts.

India supports international efforts to address loss and damage in developing and climate-vulnerable countries. At the same time, it has repeatedly argued that countries that industrialised earlier have historically used a large share of the global carbon budget.

India therefore maintains that developed countries have a responsibility to provide adequate financing to developing nations to help them deal with the impacts of climate change.

Nepal’s latest demand has added a broader climate justice dimension to the country’s immediate humanitarian crisis. It has also renewed the international debate over who should bear the financial burden of climate-related disasters in vulnerable countries.

Sources: Reuters, AP, The Indian Express