Why has the response to Nepal’s floods been so muted?
Because wealthy nations do not want to take responsibility for their role in the current climate crisis.
It has been three weeks since the collapse of a glacier and rock mass from the Langtang Lirung mountain triggered devastating floods in Nepal’s Bhotekoshi and Trishuli valleys. Officials have confirmed the loss of more than 1,380 precious lives, while around 5,100 remain missing. The disaster shattered thousands of homes and wiped out vital infrastructure.
Nepal government’s rapid assessment estimates that full recovery and long-term reconstruction will need $4.7bn. That is roughly 10 percent of Nepal’s annual gross domestic product (GDP), and more than a third of its federal budget.
And yet, despite considerable media and public attention, the international political response has remained strikingly muted.
But wealthy countries drew a line around what that recognition could mean. The decision text adopted alongside the Paris Agreement states that Article 8 “does not involve or provide a basis for any liability or compensation”.