네팔 “홍수 아니라 ‘히말라야 쓰나미’…탄소배출 중·미·인도에 배상 책임”

The Nepalese government is demanding "climate damage compensation" from major carbon-emitting nations such as China, the United States, and India, who are directly responsible for the climate crisis that triggered the massive flooding and landslides in Nepal. On the 1st, Nepal's Assistant Foreign Minister for South Asian Affairs, Mr. Sinikal Kanal, stated in an interview with Kantipur TV that Nepal's diplomatic stance has shifted from seeking humanitarian assistance to demanding legal and moral reparations from carbon-emitting nations.

In the interview, Mr. Kanal emphasized that "we must move beyond philanthropy and address the issue of justice and compensation." He stressed that "this is not a matter of charity; it is about the legal and moral responsibility of the world's major carbon-emitting countries." Despite Nepal's negligible contribution to carbon emissions, the country is bearing the brunt of this global disaster.

Mr. Kanal said that "major carbon-emitting nations and industrialized countries like China, the United States, and India have a historical responsibility to compensate vulnerable countries like Nepal." Nepal's Finance Ministry has officially sent a letter demanding climate change compensation to international partners. Mr. Kanal explained that this is not just a matter for Nepal, but a matter of global survival.

He warned that "if the Himalayan glaciers melt, over 200 million people in South Asia could be threatened with water and water resources." He also pointed out that the scale of this disaster is unprecedented, describing it as "a 20-30m tidal wave with a speed of 180km/h." Nepal's Prime Minister, Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba, echoed the same sentiments.

According to AFP, Prime Minister Deuba said on the 31st, "It's time to forcefully raise this disaster issue before the international community as a result of climate change." As of the 26th, the death toll from the landslide and flash flood in Nepal's border region with China's Tibet Autonomous Region has surpassed 1000, with 987 confirmed dead and 583 listed as foreigners. A total of 16 people have been confirmed dead and 546 are missing in Tibet.