Nepal has stepped up its call for climate-related compensation from major greenhouse-gas emitters, including China, the United States and India, following the devastating flash floods and glacial disaster that struck the country’s Rasuwa district. Nepal says the assistance it needs should not be viewed merely as humanitarian charity, but as part of a broader moral and legal responsibility arising from the unequal impacts of climate change.
Nepal Says It Is Paying for a Crisis It Did Not Create
Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal has argued that the Himalayan nation contributes only a negligible share of global greenhouse-gas emissions while facing some of the most severe consequences of a warming climate. He said Nepal is being forced to bear the consequences of a global crisis that it did little to create.
The country is particularly vulnerable to rising temperatures, glacier melt, unstable mountain slopes and extreme weather events. According to Khanal, the devastating floods demonstrate why vulnerable countries need more than emergency relief and should receive support for the long-term losses and damage caused by climate change.
Rasuwa Disaster Leaves Massive Destruction
The disaster in late August was triggered by a glacial collapse and a massive surge of ice, rock, mud and water in the Himalayan region. Rasuwa, located near Nepal’s border with China, was among the worst-affected areas.
The flooding destroyed homes, roads, bridges and critical infrastructure, while several hydropower projects were severely damaged. Hundreds of workers were reported trapped or missing in hydropower tunnels, making rescue operations particularly difficult. More than 1,000 people have been reported dead in the wider disaster, with thousands still missing as rescue and recovery efforts continue.
Why India, China and the US Have Been Named
Nepal has specifically highlighted China, India and the United States because they are among the world’s largest greenhouse-gas emitters. Kathmandu’s argument is based on the principle of climate justice: countries that have contributed significantly to global emissions should play a greater role in helping nations that are disproportionately affected by climate-related disasters.
Nepal’s position is not that these countries directly caused the Rasuwa flood. Rather, the government is linking the increasing frequency and severity of climate-related disasters to global warming and calling for greater financial responsibility from major emitters.
PM Balendra Shah Thanks India and China
The compensation demand has come alongside Nepal’s appreciation for international assistance. Prime Minister Balendra Shah has thanked India and China for their swift support following the disaster and said his government has been coordinating with the international community to speed up assistance and recovery efforts.
India and China have also been involved in rescue and relief operations. Chinese and Indian experts have assisted Nepali teams searching for people trapped inside damaged hydropower facilities.
Nepal Wants Climate Loss and Damage Support
Kathmandu’s broader demand is connected to the international “loss and damage” framework, which seeks financial support for countries suffering irreversible and severe impacts from climate change.
Nepal is now looking beyond immediate food, medical and rescue assistance and wants international support for rebuilding infrastructure and communities affected by the disaster. Reconstruction costs could run into billions of dollars, adding pressure on a country with limited financial resources.
A Growing Debate Over Climate Responsibility
Nepal’s demand is likely to add momentum to the wider global debate over who should pay when vulnerable countries face increasingly destructive climate disasters. For Kathmandu, the Rasuwa catastrophe is not simply a natural disaster but a warning of the growing risks facing Himalayan communities.
At the same time, the disaster has highlighted the need for stronger regional cooperation. Nepal is seeking better real-time information on glacier movements and upstream water levels from China, while plans are being developed to rebuild early-warning infrastructure along the China-Nepal border.
The immediate priority remains rescuing survivors, locating the missing and restoring essential infrastructure. But Nepal’s demand for compensation signals that, alongside relief and reconstruction, climate accountability is increasingly becoming a central part of its diplomatic response to Himalayan disasters.
