AFRICA @COP30: AGN HIGHLIGHTS IMPORTANCE OF LOSS AND DAMAGE FUNDING

For decades, developing countries, particularly those most vulnerable to the climate crisis, had been calling for mechanisms to support countries in addressing loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change, including extreme events and slow onset events, beyond adaptation.

While adaptation involves taking action to build resilience and prepare for climate change impacts that can be managed, loss and damage refers to the unavoidable, irreversible, and permanent consequences that occur even after adaptation efforts have been made.

At COP19 in 2013, Parties established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (the WIM).

The WIM has played a pivotal role in its first decade, 2013−2023, in driving the loss and damage agenda forward that culminated in putting in place complementary provisions for in-country support that focus on technical assistance and finance for responding to loss and damage, before the historic establishment in Sham El Sheik, Egypt, of the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD).

Key issues at COP30 have been around the under-resourced Fund for Loss and damage, with just over USD 800 million when the loss and damage needs run into billions of dollars; the need to establish a more robust global framework for loss and damage that is separate from adaptation; and challenges in ensuring easy and direct access to funds for vulnerable communities.

With the launch of the Barbados Implementation Modalities (BIM), with an initial allocation of USD 250 million, African negotiators have not only been reflecting on the milestone in which they played a key role, but also highlighting the importance of replenishing the fund to meet growing loss and damage demands.

In the video, Alpha Kaloga, AGN Lead Coordinator on Loss and Damage speaks about key issues and state of play on negotiations.