Nepal has sought compensation from major greenhouse-gas emitters including India, China and the United States, arguing that countries responsible for a large share of global emissions must bear responsibility for the devastating climate-related disasters hitting the Himalayan nation.
The demand comes after deadly floods and landslides that have caused widespread destruction in Nepal, killing more than 1,000 people and leaving thousands missing. The disaster has prompted Kathmandu to intensify its push for international climate finance to rebuild communities and infrastructure.
Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has argued that the country should not be expected to shoulder the financial burden of disasters caused by a climate crisis to which it has contributed comparatively little.
“This is not charity,” Khanal said, framing the demand as a matter of moral and legal responsibility on the part of major emitters.
Nepal has identified India, China and the US among the countries whose emissions contribute substantially to global warming. While India and China are Nepal's immediate neighbours and among the world's largest current emitters, the US has historically contributed a much larger share of cumulative greenhouse-gas emissions.
"We are shifting our diplomatic framework from “aid” to “justice and compensation”. This is not a matter of charity; it is a matter of legal and moral liability. The major industrial emitters, such as China, which is the world’s top emitter, the United States at number two, and India at number three have a historical responsibility to compensate vulnerable nations like Nepal, " he said in an interview with Kathmandu post.
Kathmandu's demand is linked to the international Loss and Damage mechanism, under which vulnerable developing countries seek financial support for the destruction caused by climate change. Nepal has approached the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage seeking assistance following the latest disaster.
The government says the scale of the destruction has demonstrated the disproportionate impact of climate change on countries such as Nepal. Floods, landslides, melting glaciers and other climate-related hazards are increasingly threatening Himalayan communities, despite Nepal's relatively small contribution to global greenhouse-gas emissions.
The latest floods have inflicted extensive damage on homes, roads, bridges and other infrastructure and disrupted livelihoods across affected areas. Nepal has estimated that reconstruction could cost billions of dollars.
The compensation demand also reflects Kathmandu's broader campaign for climate justice. Nepal has repeatedly argued at international forums that countries that have benefited from carbon-intensive development should provide greater financial assistance to nations facing the consequences of climate change.
The issue is particularly sensitive for India and China because of Nepal's geographical and economic dependence on both countries. At the same time, Kathmandu has sought greater international recognition of the Himalayas as one of the regions most vulnerable to global warming.
Khanal told The Kathmandu Post that Nepal was mobilising its diplomatic missions and international partners to secure support for recovery and reconstruction following the disaster.