Kerala ecologist seeks UN compensation for Wayanad floods and landslide damage

By A Representative

Prominent ecologist and UN environmental negotiator Dr. S Faizi has formally urged the UNFCCC Loss and Damage Fund to allocate compensation for the catastrophic floods and landslides that devastated Wayanad, Kerala, in July 2024. In a letter addressed to Dr. Ibrahim Cheikh Diong, Executive Director of the Fund, Faizi highlighted the climate crisis as the primary cause of the disaster, which claimed 359 lives, left 95 permanently disabled, and caused severe injuries to 378 others.

The Kerala government estimates recovery and reconstruction costs at Rs 22,190 million (approx. $258 million), excluding compensation for loss of life, livelihoods, and agricultural damage. Faizi argues the total losses exceed Rs 50,000 million ($581 million), a burden unsustainable for the state without international support. Citing a World Weather Attribution study linking the disaster to climate change, he emphasized Wayanad’s "carbon-negative" status, noting its minimal role in causing the crisis.

Faizi acknowledged the need for formal submissions from the Kerala and Indian governments but urged the Fund to treat his appeal as a provisional placeholder, given bureaucratic delays. He also referenced Kerala’s 2018 floods as further evidence of climate-induced vulnerabilities in the ecologically sensitive state.

The letter calls on industrialized nations to fulfill reparations through the Fund, stressing the moral obligation to support regions disproportionately affected by climate change despite negligible historical emissions. Faizi pledged to provide additional documentation to strengthen the case.

The UNFCCC has yet to respond publicly. Observers note the request could set a precedent for climate justice claims from vulnerable communities worldwide.

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