For many countries impacted by the negative impacts of climate change, much more money is leaving in debt payments than they receive in grants to cope with climate impacts (Theresa May: It’s Britain’s duty to help nations hit by climate change, 12 December).

Even before this autumn’s devastating hurricanes, Caribbean countries were suffering under unsustainable debts caused by the legacy of colonialism, unjust trade rules, harsh austerity measures imposed in return for bailouts, and past disasters. Now countries such as Antigua and Barbuda, and Dominica, are expected to keep paying debts while struggling to rebuild.

One of the main “solutions” proposed to this cycle of climate-induced disasters and indebtedness is climate risk insurance. This fundamentally unjust measure places the financial burden of climate impacts on people who have done the least to cause the problem of climate change, while ensuring that creditors keep being paid in the event of climate disasters. Instead, debt cancellation is needed to make debts sustainable, and all assistance to adapt to – and rebuild from – climate disasters must be in the form of grants, not loans.
Sarah-Jayne Clifton
Director, Jubilee Debt Campaign

• Theresa May’s article failed to explain how the fight to limit climate change is helped by fracking, by the building of Hinckley Point with its absurd overpricing of the cost of each unit of electricity (another example of Conservatives milking citizens to benefit commerce), by the third runway at Heathrow or by her government’s refusal to include environmental costs in the calculation of the value of gross national product, another example of said welfare state.

Her stock answer to demands for more being spent on (for example) the NHS is that increased interest payments on borrowing cannot be borne because they will prejudice future generations, yet the threat to future generations from the effects of climate change is immeasurably greater. Moreover, May has no qualms in leaving future generations with the burden of guarding spent nuclear fuel for hundreds of years. The inadequacy of her policies is plain.
Ian Tysh
Wealden Green party, East Sussex

Floods persist in seven southern provinces, with more than 900,000 people affected by inundations that have resulted in 22 deaths over the past 15 days.

The northeastern monsoon that began on Nov 25 has brought flooding to 11 southern provinces: Pattani, Yala, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Satun, Chumphon, Narathiwat, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Surat Thani and Krabi, 

The floods, which have claimed 22 lives so far, still persist in seven provinces, with 903,603 people from 3,077 villages in 56 districts enduring hardship, Chayapol Thitisak, director-general of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, said on Saturday.

The seven provinces are Pattani, Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Chumphon, Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Surat Thani, he said.

In Pattani, Nong Chik and Muang districts are still inundated. In Songkhla, the affected areas are Sathing Phra, Khuan Niang, Singha Nakhon, Krasae Srin, Bang Klam and Ranot districts. In Phatthalung, Khuan Khanun, Sri Banphot, Sri Nakharin, Kong Ra, Pak Phayun, Pa Phayom, Pa Bon, Khao Chaison, Bang Kaew and Tamot are affected.

In Trang, Muang, Na Yong, Wang Wiset, and Kantang districts are still inundated. In Chumphon, flooding remains in Lamae, Muang, Thung Tako, Pathiu, Phato, Sawi and Lang Suan.

In Nakhon Sri Thammarat, water levels remain high in eight districts: Cha-uat, Bang Khan, Chian Yai, Chulabhorn, Thung Song, Pak Phanang, Sichon, Na Bon, Chawang, Nop Phi Tham, Hua Sai, Chalerm Prakiat, Phommakhiri, Thung Yai, Chang Klang, Ron Phibun, Tha Sala and Tham Phannara.

In Surat Thani, seven districts -- Phrasaeng, Wiang Sa, Khian Sa, Ban Na San, Ban Na Doem, Phunphin and Don Sak -- are flooded.