Death toll from landslide disaster in Nepal exceeds 1,000, foreign minister calls for climate justice

Eight days have passed since the landslide disasters occurred in Nepal and Tibet. The cumulative death toll has exceeded 1,200 people, and nearly 5,000 people are still missing.

Nepal's Foreign Minister Shisir Khanal was interviewed by the country's media Kantipur TV last week, saying that the disaster was not just an ordinary flood, but was as big as a tsunami. He believes that the rapid melting of glaciers is a consequence of global warming and climate change, but the initiator of climate change is not Nepal.

"We are paying a heavy price for this global crisis that we did not create." Khanal pointed out that the world's largest carbon emitter is China, the United States is the second, and the third is India. "These countries have historical responsibilities and should compensate fragile countries like Nepal."

Nepali climate advocate Tashi Lhazom believes that in the context of climate change, Nepal is the most vulnerable country, but it is also one of the countries that attaches the most importance to climate and environmental issues.

Saswata Sanyal, an expert at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal, told AFP that the Himalayas are warming at about twice the rate of other parts of the world. "What we are seeing is a chain disaster, just like the floods on August 26, where one event triggered many subsequent events."

Experts generally believe that it is difficult to directly attribute the floods to climate change or global warming. However, climate change does cause glaciers in high mountains to become more unstable, and similar disasters may occur in the future.

Nepalese officials said they have applied to the United Nations for emergency assistance from "loss and damage" funds. International climate advocacy organizations have also called on industrial powers to be more active in assisting.

The Global Campaign for Climate Justice (DCJ) issued a statement on September 1, stating that what is needed now is not just sympathy, condolences and condolences, but more importantly, governments must face up to the plight of people in the Himalayas and those communities at the forefront of climate impacts. “Rich countries cannot portray Nepal’s disaster as an unfortunate consequence of climate change while continuing to blatantly expand the industries that drive climate change.”