Nepal is seeking $20 million (just under €17.5 million) from the international Loss and Damage Fund, the UN-backed mechanism designed to support countries suffering irreversible climate-related losses, Environment Minister Geeta Chaudhary said in an exclusive DW interview. The move comes after floods and landslides killed more than 1,400 people in August and left thousands missing. "We have already issued the official letter for the fund for the loss and damage," Chaudhary told DW.
"Most of the countries have sent us a positive response." The flash flooding caused widespread destruction across large swathes of Nepal, damaging homes, agricultural land and infrastructure. Rescue and recovery efforts are still ongoing in several areas, while authorities continue to assess the full scale of the losses. In the Himalayan nation, the tragedy has become a powerful symbol of what developing countries describe as the unfair climate burden of contributing little to global emissions while facing disproportionate consequences.
Talking to DW, Chaudhary repeatedly framed Nepal's response through the lens of climate justice, a concept that has become increasingly prominent in global climate negotiations. "Sympathy alone will not work for us," she said. If you're not able to give us justice, then we also don't need the words." "Those countries who are emitting the most and are able to contribute the funds, they need to pay for the climatic disasters like what we are facing," she said.
Nepal contributes roughly 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Its geography, however, makes it extremely vulnerable to climate-related risks. Rising temperatures in the Himalayas have accelerated glacial retreat and increased concerns about glacial lake outburst floods, landslides and extreme weather events across the region.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video In the wake of the most recent disaster, the government has intensified calls for more adaptation financing, direct access to climate funds and stronger international commitments to fight consequences of climate change. Chaudhary pointed to melting glaciers, warming temperatures and changes in mountain environments as factors behind the deadly floods. "Our evidence is showing that this catastrophic event is because of climate change," Chaudhary said.
While many scientists agree that climate change increases the likelihood and severity of such events, establishing a causal relationship between a specific disaster and global warming typically requires detailed attribution studies. Researchers are more likely to point to a combination of factors, including glacier and permafrost degradation, extreme weather conditions and geological vulnerabilities. The Nepali government, however, insists that the connection is clear.
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