Indigenous activists from Nepal demand climate reparations

In the wake of devastating flash floods triggered by glacial collapse in the Himalayas, Nepal is demanding climate reparations from polluter countries as it embarks upon the grueling process of rebuilding.

Over 1,400 bodies have been recovered from the disaster, with around 6,000 others still missing. Nepal’s government estimates that the cost of infrastructure reconstruction is likely to exceed $4 billion.

Nepal, a mountainous country surrounded by glaciers, continues to be vulnerable to the effects of climate change, despite contributing less than 0.1% of global carbon emissions.

Recent studies estimate that global surface temperatures will likely exceed 1.5°C above preindustrial levels by the end of the decade, threatening additional glacier melts and more deadly disasters.