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At International Court of Justice, Nepal demands climate justice https://kathmandupost.com/climate-environment/2024/12/11/at-international-court-of-justice-nepal-demands-climate-justice

 Drawing the attention of the International Court of Justice to the impacts of climate change, Nepal made a strong plea for climate justice to alleviate the suffering climate change has inflicted on Nepali people.

Making an oral presentation to the court’s public hearings on the ‘Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change’ on Monday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Arzu Rana Deuba said global warming and consequent climate change increasingly threaten Nepal’s snow-capped mountains and glaciers.

“We are having to bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change in a disproportionate manner. In fact, we are paying for a bad ‘karma’ we did not create,” said Deuba. “We have been penalised for the mistakes we never made, for the crimes we never committed.”

The worst impacts of the climate crisis have been apparent in Nepal for several years. Mountains are melting, and glacial lakes have been bursting and vanishing at record rates, with one-third of them lost in just three decades, Deuba added. Monsoons, storms and landslides are growing in force and ferocity—sweeping away crops, livestock and entire villages—decimating economies and ruining lives.

Despite playing a crucial role in maintaining climate balance, supporting ecosystems, and preserving biodiversity, Nepal remains vulnerable due to its geographical circumstances and relatively low level of development, Deuba said.

Speaking on human rights law-related obligations of states in connection with climate change, Deuba highlighted Nepal’s position that many vulnerable states were not able to meet their obligations under international human rights law as actions and emissions arising from beyond their territories also affected the specific rights of their citizens.

https://kathmandupost.com/climate-environment/2024/12/11/at-international-court-of-justice-nepal-demands-climate-justice