Nepal Accounts for Just 0.01% of Carbon Emissions... Still Hit Hard by Climate Disasters

A Country With Low Carbon Emissions Suffers Climate Disaster
Nepali Foreign Minister: "We Must Join Forces to Preserve the Himalayas"

The recent flood damage in Nepal is a disaster caused by climate change, yet Nepal itself has an extremely low carbon dioxide emission rate. This highlights the inequality in the impacts of climate change.

According to data from the international research organization 'Global Carbon Project' (GCP) on the Global Carbon Budget, as of 2024, Nepal accounts for only 0.05% of the world’s carbon dioxide emissions, and just 0.01% of the cumulative emissions since the start of industrialization.

A drone captured footage of the sudden flood damage along the Trishuli River in Nuwakot, Nepal, on the 30th (local time). Photo by AP Yonhap News Agency

Nepal has contributed only a negligible amount to global carbon emissions, but has been directly hit by a disaster stemming from climate change. This major flood in Nepal was caused by a large glacier collapse in the Himalayas.

According to a study published in the international journal ‘Earth and Planetary Science’ in June, the glacier area in the Langtang region—where this disaster occurred—had already been shrinking rapidly. The researchers warned, “Warming-induced glacier fragmentation and splitting will accelerate erosion,” and called for urgent detailed assessments in the region. The study notes that the mountainous areas of Asia contain about 95,000 glaciers, and if these glaciers were to collapse, the likelihood of resulting disasters, such as avalanches or floods, would be high.

GCP data shows that, since 1750, the United States has been responsible for 24% of the world’s cumulative carbon emissions—the largest share. The next largest contributors were China (15%), Russia (6.7%), Germany (5.2%), and the United Kingdom (4.4%). South Korea ranks 14th, with cumulative emissions of 20.7 billion tons, accounting for 1.12% of the global total.

The Nepalese government has also voiced concerns about the unequal effects of climate change. On the 29th (local time), Nepal’s Foreign Minister Shishir Kanal emphasized, “The people of Nepal are among the biggest victims of the changing climate,” stressing that “the international community must work together to preserve the Himalayan ecosystem.” As of the previous day, the death toll from the floods in Nepal stood at 750 people, with 3,044 missing persons reported.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.