Nepal has sought climate-related compensation from India, China and the United States following the devastating flash floods that struck the country last week.

Nepal Foreign Minister Shishir Khanal said the country wants its diplomatic approach to move beyond conventional disaster aid towards what he described as justice and compensation. He argued that major greenhouse gas emitters have a responsibility towards vulnerable countries facing severe climate-related losses.

The flash flood struck the Bhotekoshi River basin on August 26 after a high-altitude glacial collapse along the Tibet-Nepal border. The disaster sent water, rocks and debris downstream, affecting villages across at least three districts.

More than 1,100 bodies have been recovered, while nearly 4,500 people remain missing, according to the report.

Nepal seeks accountability from major emitters

Khanal said Nepal’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions is “virtually negligible”, yet the country is facing severe consequences associated with global warming, including glacier melt and extreme mountain disasters.

He said Nepal considers the response to such climate-related losses a matter of “legal and moral liability” rather than charity.

According to Khanal, Nepal intends to raise the issue at international forums and seek compensation for climate-related losses suffered by vulnerable countries.

He also highlighted the importance of Himalayan glaciers for South Asia’s water security, saying their disappearance could have consequences for billions of people dependent on rivers including the Ganges and Trishuli.

Nepal’s finance ministry has also sent a formal climate compensation claim letter to its international partners, Khanal said.

India has backed climate equity

India has consistently highlighted the principle of climate equity and pointed to its relatively low per capita greenhouse gas emissions.

New Delhi has argued that climate responsibilities should consider countries’ historical emissions, development requirements and respective capacities. India has also supported efforts to address loss and damage suffered by vulnerable developing countries.

India maintains that developed nations should provide financial resources to countries dealing with the effects of climate change.

Nepal approaches loss and damage fund

Nepal has formally approached the board of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage for urgent financial assistance following the August 26 flash flood.

The fund was established at COP27 in 2022 and operationalised at COP28.

A letter jointly signed by Nepal’s Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle and Forests and Agriculture Minister Geeta Chaudhary sought an urgent response to the disaster, citing extensive loss of life, displacement and destruction of homes and critical infrastructure.

The letter said the full extent of the economic and non-economic losses was yet to be determined, but preliminary information indicated that the impact had exceeded Nepal’s immediate response capacity.

The United States has begun strikes against Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) targets in Iran, following what the US military described as attempted attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and American service members deployed in the Middle East.

US Central Command said US forces began the strikes at 12 pm ET on Tuesday, which was 9:30 pm IST. The announcement came as tensions continued to rise between Washington and Tehran.

Iranian state media, meanwhile, reported that four projectiles hit areas in the Chabahar and Konarak counties, east of the Strait of Hormuz. No information about damage from those projectiles was specified.

Iran warns of retaliation

IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi warned that Washington would regret the latest attacks and said severe punishment awaited the aggressors.

The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, while the US continues its counter naval blockade of Iranian ports, according to the report.

The latest US strikes followed an earlier attack on Iran’s Larak Island on Sunday. The US said it targeted Iranian rocket launchers there to prevent Iran from planting further mines in the shipping lane.

Iran subsequently launched missiles at US bases in Jordan, which were intercepted. The United Arab Emirates also said it had stopped an Iranian drone over its waters.

Trump warns of ‘biggest attack’

US President Donald Trump warned Iran against retaliating for the latest strikes.

Trump said Iran would face attacks at a “much harder and higher” level if it responded, adding that the latest action would not be the biggest attack planned by the US.

Trump had earlier said that US and Israeli bombardment had left Iran’s leadership dead, its military devastated and its economy in ruins. He nevertheless indicated that further strikes could be carried out.

US weighs economic pressure on Iran

The renewed fighting comes after Trump had shifted attention last month towards economic pressure on Iran.

The US president had announced an “economic D-Day” strategy involving sanctions against Iran, with his administration arguing that targeting the country’s economy could push Tehran towards a breaking point.

At the same time, the report noted concerns over diminishing US stockpiles of advanced weapons and the domestic political impact of the war ahead of the November midterm elections.

The US government has proposed removing employment authorisation for certain H-4 dependent spouses of H-1B visa holders, a move that could significantly affect Indian families living in the country.

The proposal seeks to reverse a rule introduced in 2015 that allowed eligible H-4 spouses to obtain an Employment Authorisation Document (EAD) and work legally in the US. However, the proposal has not yet become a final rule.

Indian H-4 spouses could be among the hardest hit

Data on H-4 EAD applications from 2014 to 2017 showed that 93 per cent of approvals went to Indian nationals, while 94 per cent of those Indian beneficiaries were women.

Indian families could therefore face a significant impact if the proposal eventually takes effect. Indian nationals accounted for about 71 per cent of approved H-1B petitions in fiscal year 2024, according to data cited in the report.

What does the US proposal say?

The plan, listed on the US government’s regulatory information website, is titled “Removing H-4 Dependent Spouses From the Classes of Noncitizens Eligible for Employment Authorisation.”

The Department of Homeland Security has included it in its long-term regulatory agenda. No date has yet been set for its release as a formal proposed rule.

The proposal would reverse changes made under the 2015 rule that extended employment authorisation eligibility to certain H-4 dependent spouses.

H-4 work permits will not end immediately

The proposed change does not immediately take away the right to work from H-4 spouses.

For the proposal to become effective, the Department of Homeland Security would first have to publish a formal Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in the Federal Register. It would then have to allow public comments before issuing a final rule.

Until that process is completed, H-4 spouses holding valid EADs can continue working under the existing rules.

What is an H-4 visa?

An H-4 visa allows eligible spouses and children of H-1B visa holders to live in the US. The visa itself does not provide work authorisation.

Eligible H-4 spouses need a separate EAD to work legally. Under the current rules described in the report, this employment authorisation is available to spouses whose H-1B partners meet certain green-card-related requirements.

The latest proposal would seek to remove H-4 dependent spouses as a category eligible to request this employment authorisation.

Not the first attempt to change H-4 work rules

The US government had previously attempted to remove employment authorisation for certain H-4 spouses during Donald Trump’s first term.

That proposal was not finalised and was ultimately withdrawn in 2021. The latest proposal represents another attempt to reverse the H-4 EAD policy.