Abstract

In 2022, Pakistan saw unprecedented and extreme flooding, whose extent was quickly identified to be an effect of climate change. At a similar time, the idea of climate reparations entered the public conscience through the COP27 climate summit. In this paper I will explore: the history of reparations; the situations in which they have been used; how they have functioned in the past; and what they aim to achieve. Using this framework, I will discuss the appropriacy of reparations in the context of climate change. The flooding in Pakistan serves as a case study to test these ideas. This dissertation will discuss the specific measures that should be taken: establishing a reparation commission; establishing a way to discern the form of reparations; and quantifying the amount of reparations required. Finally, bearing in mind the fact that reparations are a subset of the broader topic, transitional justice, I will explore whether other transitional justice tools could be used.