Environment

India to Seek ‘Loss and Damage’ Compensation From West for Climate Disasters at COP-27

A woman living in a slum wades through a waterlogged dwelling after heavy rains in Bangalore on September 7, 2022Rishikesh KumarA UN report suggests that the number of people going hungry daily would rise sharply from 828 million if the rise in global temperatures is not restrained. Poorer and middle-income nations have suggested that wealthier countries and global corporations that are top global polluters should bear responsibility for natural disasters around the world.India, together with a group of least developed countries (the G-77), will push for “loss and damages” compensation at the upcoming climate summit COP-27 in November, as worsening weather conditions hurt the economies of poorer countries the most, Bloomberg reports.

"Mitigation was the focus of the [latest] COP talks because that's what the UK focused on as hosts…This had caused disappointment among the smaller countries [due to] the lack of discussion on loss and damages," Indian Environment Minister Bhupendra Yadav told the newspaper.

Yadav’s remarks came days after his Pakistani counterpart Sherry Rehman said that “climate funding is unfair to developing countries” as her country has faced its worst flood disaster in a decade.Nearly 1,400 people were killed and 33 million were affected due to floods that inundated almost all of Pakistan. A number of cities received 500 to 700 percent more rainfall than average in August.According to Rehman, the group of 77 developing countries plus China, which Pakistan currently chairs, will demand compensation from polluters after the Global South witnessed a year of devastating droughts, floods, heatwaves and forest fires.

"Pakistan has hardly contributed to emissions; we must mobilize for global climate action; this is the time to put Loss and Damage at COP," UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who visited the South Asian country, said on September 7th.

During the UN Climate meeting in Glasgow, the US and European Union blocked an attempt by poorer and middle-income countries to establish a dedicated new damages fund for the vulnerable nations.However, the Glasgow deal did recognize the rising costs of losses and damage in developing countries.UN estimates that over $300 billion would be required by 2030 to assist developing countries in adapting to climate change.

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