Nepal flood disaster puts climate justice under spotlight

Nepal's devastating glacial floods have turned a rescue operation into a global argument over climate responsibility. More than 1,250 people have been confirmed dead and almost 4,000 remain missing after floods swept through the Bhotekoshi-Trisuli river basin.

The disaster destroyed buildings, bridges, roads and more than a dozen hydropower facilities. Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority estimates damage to public and private infrastructure at $2.6 billion, or €2.24 billion. Search and rescue teams continue to look for missing people, while families wait for news of their relatives.

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global responsibility

The precise cause of the glacial collapse remains unclear. Experts say, however, that climate change is melting glaciers worldwide and increasing the risk of disasters of this kind.

For Nepal, the catastrophe raises a question that extends beyond reconstruction: who should pay for the consequences of climate-related disasters when the Himalayan country contributes only a tiny share of global emissions but faces growing risks? Prime Minister Balendra Shah described the response as a "global responsibility" while addressing Parliament.

"As we work tirelessly to address the damage caused by this sudden and massive disaster, a deeper question has also emerged: How did this destruction happen to us?" Shah said. He stressed that reducing and managing the impacts should be treated as a shared responsibility of the international community.

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As we work tirelessly to address the damage caused by this sudden and massive disaster, a deeper question has also emerged: How did this destruction happen to us?

Kathmandu plans to bring the climate justice issue to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Shah is expected to lead Nepal's delegation. Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal said Nepal would seek international support and a moral commitment to respond to climate change's effects. He also said the country would work to build a coalition of climate-vulnerable nations.

Nepal has about 30 million people and produces only 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with annual per capita emissions of about 0.5 tons of carbon dioxide, according to the World Bank. Yet floods, landslides, glacier-related hazards and other environmental threats increasingly endanger lives and livelihoods.

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We will make our case about the impact of climate change and seek global support and moral obligation to tackle it.