Aid Is Not Enough, Nepal Wants Compensation: What Will Kathmandu Demand from India and China at UN?

Kathamandu: Last week's floods and landslides in Nepal have caused huge devastation. The death toll in the flash floods on August 26 has reached 1204 as of September 2, while 4216 people are still missing. Even after a week has passed, relief and rescue work is going on, teams are searching for missing people in the debris. According to Nepal Police, the maximum number of dead bodies, 348, have been found in Chitwan. 217 bodies have been recovered in Nawalparasi East, 190 in Nawalparasi West, 155 in Nuwakot, 66 in Gorkha, 59 in Dhading, 45 in Rasuwa and 38 in Tanahun.

Why did such a severe flood occur in Nepal?

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has said that the flood in Bhotekoshi river in Rasuwa may have a direct connection with climate change. He said that the Himalayas are warming rapidly and the world will have to pay attention to this. According to Oli, the temperature of the Himalayas has increased by about 1.8 degrees. Experts say that a large part of snow and rock slipped from the height and fell down, due to which there was a sudden flood in the river and everything in the areas settled below was washed away.

Why did Nepal ask for compensation from China, India and America?

Nepal says that the bill for this disaster should be paid by those countries which are causing the most pollution. Kathmandu has raised the demand for compensation from China, India and America as these countries have the largest share of greenhouse gas emissions. Nepal's Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said that big countries emit and small hilly countries like us pay the price. The government is now going to raise this matter loudly on the international platform.

Why is the issue of climate justice being raised in the UN?

Nepal has approached the Loss and Damage Fund of the United Nations for help. This fund has been created especially for those countries which are suffering losses due to climate change. Foreign Minister Khanal said that now we are not just asking for help but are going to talk about justice. Nepal's carbon emissions are much lower than the rest of the world, yet we are the ones bearing the brunt of melting glaciers and floods.

Where was the damage caused the most?

The flood in Bhotekoshi river on August 26 affected Rasuwa, Nuwakot and Dhading the most. Hundreds of houses were washed away, roads and bridges were destroyed, hydroelectric projects were destroyed. Many villages have been cut off. The Nepal government is calling it 'Himalayan Tsunami'. According to Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle, the loss could be 4 to 5 billion dollars, which is about 10% of Nepal's entire economy.

Will PM Oli raise this issue in the UN?

Earlier, the Foreign Minister was going to represent Nepal in the UNGA, but after such a big disaster, the plan may change. PM Oli himself can go to the 81st UN General Assembly starting from September 8 and raise the issue of this disaster in the Himalayas and climate justice there.