Nepal's foreign minister has demanded that China, the United States and India pay compensation for a deadly flash flood. The flood hit Nepal last week, and the country says it suffers disasters it did not create. Nepal's greenhouse gas emissions are tiny compared with the world's top three polluters.
The demand came during an Al Jazeera program about climate justice. Guests debated whether big polluters can be forced to pay for damage in small countries. The program asked if Nepal is leading a new battle for climate justice.
π The Backstory
Nepal is a poor mountain nation squeezed between China and India, two of the biggest emitters on Earth. Melting glaciers and heavy rain make flash floods more common there. Scientists say climate change is making such disasters worse.
For years, developing countries have argued that rich polluters should pay for loss and damage. UN climate talks finally created a fund for this, but the money has been slow to arrive. Nepal's demand makes the issue hard to ignore.
π― Why It Matters
If Nepal wins compensation, other disaster-hit countries could ask for the same. Who pays for climate damage affects every family facing floods, heatwaves and storms.
Nepal's foreign minister has demanded that China, the United States and India pay compensation for a deadly flash flood. The flood hit Nepal last week, and the country says it suffers disasters it did not create. Nepal's greenhouse gas emissions are tiny compared with the world's top three polluters.
The demand came during an Al Jazeera program about climate justice. Guests debated whether big polluters can be forced to pay for damage in small countries. The program asked if Nepal is leading a new battle for climate justice.
Nepal is a poor mountain nation squeezed between China and India, two of the biggest emitters on Earth. Melting glaciers and heavy rain make flash floods more common there. Scientists say climate change is making such disasters worse.
For years, developing countries have argued that rich polluters should pay for loss and damage. UN climate talks finally created a fund for this, but the money has been slow to arrive. Nepal's demand makes the issue hard to ignore.
If Nepal wins compensation, other disaster-hit countries could ask for the same. Who pays for climate damage affects every family facing floods, heatwaves and storms.