Nepal is seeking $20 million in climate compensation following devastating floods that killed or left missing more than 6,000 people, as a senior government official urged major polluting nations to acknowledge their shared responsibility for the disaster. The floods occurred in late August after a glacier partially collapsed in Chinese-controlled Tibet, triggering a catastrophic landslide and flash flooding across parts of Tibet and Nepal.

Scientists have linked the disaster to the escalating effects of climate change, with the Himalayas warming nearly 50% faster than the global average. This accelerated warming has contributed to the rapid melting of glaciers in the region. According to the United Nations, Nepal’s mountain glaciers have lost nearly one-third of their ice over the past three decades due to rising global temperatures.

Shisir Khanal, Nepal’s foreign minister, described the scale of the flooding as unprecedented and comparable to the destruction wrought by the 2015 earthquake. He depicted the floods as “waves as high as 60, 70 feet” moving at speeds of nearly 180 kilometers per hour and carrying debris, causing widespread devastation to towns, villages, and infrastructure, with some communities still isolated weeks after the disaster.

Nepal, which emits less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gases, called on the world’s largest emitters—including its neighbors India and China—to increase their support for recovery efforts. Khanal stressed that the country’s limited contribution to climate change stands in stark contrast to the scale of harm it has suffered. He emphasized the importance of large economies taking responsibility, given their historical and ongoing emissions.

Nepal’s ministry of finance and ministry of environment have jointly requested the $20 million from the United Nations’ loss and damage fund, established in 2022 under the Paris Agreement to help vulnerable nations respond to climate-related disasters. The foreign minister urged the global community to recognize the principle of climate justice, noting that wealthier and more polluting countries must assist recovery efforts in less responsible nations disproportionately affected by climate change.