Kathmandu: Nepal has stepped up its demand for climate justice following the devastating floods in the Rasuwa region, seeking compensation from major greenhouse-gas emitters including India, China and the United States.

Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said the country was not looking at the issue as a matter of charity or aid, but as one of justice and compensation. According to him, Nepal’s own greenhouse-gas emissions are negligible, yet the country is facing severe consequences of a climate crisis it contributed very little to creating.

Khanal said Nepal was shifting its diplomatic approach from seeking traditional aid to demanding climate justice and compensation from countries with a much larger historical contribution to global emissions.

He argued that major emitters such as China, the United States and India have a historical responsibility towards vulnerable countries like Nepal that are increasingly facing extreme weather events.

Nepal’s Ministry of Finance has already sent a formal climate compensation claim to its international partners. The government plans to raise the issue firmly at upcoming international forums.

Nepal is also seeking urgent financial assistance from the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, following the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi river basin on August 26.

The floods have placed a major burden on Nepal’s government, particularly in terms of search and rescue operations, emergency relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The Nepalese government is also considering taking the issue to the United Nations General Assembly. Prime Minister Balen Shah may attend the 81st UN General Assembly and use the platform to highlight the impact of climate change on Nepal and demand greater international accountability.

India, meanwhile, has continued its relief and rescue support to Nepal. Indian authorities have sent relief supplies along with technical teams, forensic experts and specialised equipment to assist the ongoing response.

Nepal’s demand for compensation has now brought the broader issue of climate justice back into focus, particularly the question of whether countries most vulnerable to climate disasters should receive financial support from major historical emitters.