Greta Thunberg calls for climate reparations from wealthy nations following devastating glacial collapse in Nepal
Climate activist Greta Thunberg has called for climate reparations from wealthy countries and fossil fuel companies to compensate for the devastating glacial collapse and flash floods in Nepal. The disaster, which occurred on August 26, resulted in a death toll of 1,344 and left over 4,800 people missing.
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Thunberg stated that the money owed to Nepal is a climate debt rather than a gift, arguing that the country is cleaning up a mess it did not cause. Experts from the HiRISK consortium and Virginia Tech have noted that while early warning signs were visible a few days before the collapse, the region's current monitoring systems were insufficient to predict the rapid speed of the flood. The glacier collapse occurred at 8:37 am local time, and alerts reached nearby communities only 38 minutes after the event, often after the flood had already traveled downstream. Nepal's government has dispatched a formal climate compensation claim letter to international partners. Prime Minister Balendra Shah is scheduled to visit the United States later this month to address the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, where he is expected to be a voice in the room where decisions are made.
Sources
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‘Stop calling it aid; the world owes Nepal climate debt’: Greta Thunberg backs Kathmandu’s call for compensation
Telegraph India
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Nepal’s Catastrophic Flood Heralds a New Age of Disasters
Bloomberg.com
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Dirty Ice Could Be Fueling Himalayan Disasters
The New York Times
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Asia Bulletin newsletter: Lessons from the flash flood in Nepal
The Economist
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Climate justice tops agenda as Nepal PM Balen flies to UN office
The Times of India