Nepal Demands Climate Justice and $20M in Compensation Following Devastating Floods

Following deadly flash floods and mudslides on August 26 that left thousands dead or missing, Nepal is demanding “climate justice” and $20m in compensation. The catastrophe, which scientists attribute to climate change, occurred when a mountain glacier collapsed, sending a torrent of water and mud into Nepal’s Rasuwa and Nuwakot regions, as well as China’s Tibet region.

More than 1,300 people have been confirmed dead, while over 5,000 remain missing. “We are paying the ultimate price for a global crisis we did not create,” Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal stated, emphasizing that support should be viewed through the lens of climate justice rather than charity. President Ramchandra Paudel echoed these sentiments in a national address, calling on the international community to take concrete steps for ecologically vulnerable countries.

Nepal’s Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Environment submitted a joint letter to the United Nations requesting $20m in damages through the Loss and Damage Fund, established in 2022 under the Paris Agreement. However, the fund is currently grappling with a $2.8bn funding gap. Nepal contributes less than 0.1 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions yet faces severe climate impacts due to its location in the Himalayas, where glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya range lost ice 65 percent faster between 2011 and 2020 compared to the previous decade.

Local advocates, including climate activist and lawyer Tanuja Pandey and 28-year-old activist Shreya KC, expressed collective frustration and anger that global attention only intensifies after disaster strikes, leaving nations like Nepal to bear the brunt of a crisis caused elsewhere. While Nepal's rapper-turned-prime minister, Balendra Shah, prepares to address the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, experts like Joyeeta Gupta note that claiming compensation will be complex, though a recent International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion states nations have legal duties to prevent climate harm and make reparations.