Nepal, Contributing Just 0.04% of Emissions, Demands Compensation from Three Countries

[Anchor]

The Nepalese government has declared that the recent massive flood was caused by climate change and has demanded compensation for damages from the international community. Pointing out that industrial nations such as China, India, and the United States are the culprits, Nepal asks why a rural nation like itself must suffer the direct blow.

Reporter Kim Young-a has the story.

[Reporter]

On the 26th of last month, a glacier and rock collapse at an altitude of 5,200 meters on the Langtang Lirung peak of the Himalayas triggered an unprecedented glacial tsunami.

Nepalese Prime Minister Balendra Shah stated, "This massive flood is a tragic disaster caused by climate change," adding, "We must raise a strong voice to the international community regarding the dangers facing the Himalayan region."

The Nepalese government has abruptly shifted its diplomatic stance from requesting aid to demanding compensation.

Foreign Minister Sisir Khanal appeared on a local broadcast and specifically singled out China, the United States, and India.

[Sisir Khanal / Foreign Minister of Nepal : Climate change has been brought about by greenhouse gas emissions from major industrial nations, including China, India, and the United States, which are the world's largest greenhouse gas emitters.]

China, the United States, and India—pointed to as the causes of climate change—account for nearly half of global greenhouse gas emissions.

Nepal, a rural nation with a population of 30 million, accounts for a mere 0.04% of emissions.

The Nepalese Ministry of Finance sent an official letter requesting emergency compensation to the United Nations on the 31st of last month (local time).

The UN projected that between 2010 and 2020, the disappearance rate of Himalayan glaciers accelerated by 65% compared to the previous decade, and the risk of glacial lake outburst floods will increase threefold by the end of the 21st century.

Through the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, the international community resolved to impose greenhouse gas reduction obligations on developed countries.

However, the protocol was effectively rendered toothless when the United States refused ratification during the Bush administration, and in 2015, the system shifted to the Paris Agreement framework, which encourages voluntary participation.

Today (the 2nd), the UN released an official report stating that the Paris Agreement goal of capping global temperature rise at 1.5 degrees Celsius (35°F) above pre-industrial levels has become impossible to achieve.

Attention is focused on whether Nepal's cry of desperation, having taken the direct hit on the frontline of climate change, can lead to change in the international community.

(Video Editing: Kim Jong-mi, Video Source: YouTube @Kantipur TV)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.