‘Developed nations must take responsibility’: Sikkim voices seek climate accountability after Nepal floods

As devastating floods in Nepal’s Rasuwa region revive memories of the 2023 South Lhonak Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) disaster in Sikkim, voices from the Himalayan state have called for greater climate accountability from developed nations, saying mountain communities are bearing the disproportionate impact of global warming despite contributing little to it.

Sanjay Dilpali Rai, Chairman of the Sikkim Art, Culture and Heritage Development Board, said people living in the Himalayas were among those on the frontline of climate change despite having a minimal role in causing it.

“We living in the Himalayas are hardly responsible for any of climate change and global warming, yet we are at the frontline of facing its adverse effects,” Rai said.

Drawing a parallel between the recent floods in Nepal and the October 2023 South Lhonak GLOF in Sikkim, Rai said Himalayan communities were increasingly being forced to bear the consequences of environmental changes driven by activities elsewhere in the world.

“We are planting our trees, we are saving our forests, we are not littering, we are not using plastic products. We are trying to be environmentally sustainable as much as possible. The entire world continues with their deeds, and we in the Himalayas face the brunt of climate change,” he said.

He urged the United Nations and developed countries to recognise the vulnerability of Himalayan communities and ensure that their concerns receive greater attention in global climate policy.

“Lives in the Himalayas also matter,” Rai said, stressing the need for developed nations to acknowledge their share of responsibility for the growing frequency and intensity of climate-related disasters.

The 2023 South Lhonak GLOF caused widespread destruction in Sikkim after a glacial lake outburst triggered a massive surge of water through the Teesta river basin. The disaster damaged infrastructure and claimed lives, highlighting the growing risks posed by climate change and the rapid transformation of the Himalayan environment.

Rai also warned that such disasters could become increasingly frequent and severe.

“It will only get worse. It's not a matter of whether it will happen or not — it's a matter of when,” he said.

While acknowledging efforts by governments to strengthen early-warning and disaster-mitigation systems, Rai said some climate-linked events could no longer be completely avoided because of global warming.

“The only thing we can do is stay alert, stay vigilant, and care for each other,” he said.

Expressing solidarity with those affected by the floods in Nepal, Rai conveyed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and hoped that missing persons would be located safely.

Describing the loss of life in Himalayan disasters as particularly painful because communities often suffer the consequences of activities they did not cause, he reiterated his appeal for greater international responsibility and climate justice for the Himalayan region.