Loss and Damage
Loss and Damage are often conceptualised as climate change impacts that are not avoided through adaptation and mitigation. It occurs due to slow-onset climate processes and extreme weather events. Global failures to mitigate emissions and adapt to climate change are causing losses and damage to communities' lives, livelihoods, and futures. The loss and damage from climate impacts, including destroyed crops, loss of livestock, and damage to buildings and infrastructure, may be repaired at a cost. Still, many other climate change impacts, including loss of human lives, psychological damage, species extinction, and loss of cultural heritage and indigenous knowledge, require more than throwing money at them hence the need to consider Non-Economic Loss and Damage (NELD) as well. NELD refers to the adverse consequences (avoidable, non-avoidable or non-adaptable) of climatic stress on items that are not traded in markets.
Article 8.1 of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change states, “Parties recognise the importance of averting, minimising and addressing loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, including extreme weather events and slow onset events, and the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage,”.
However, global efforts to move the loss and damage agenda have been underwhelming. In the IGAD region, the cost is primarily met by communities and countries, thus undermining efforts towards national development and attaining sustainable development goals. The conversation on loss and damage is inherently about equity. It evokes the question: Why should the IGAD region and the larger African continent responsible for less than 4% of global emissions be responsible for the damage resulting from the emissions of wealthy countries? In line with this, IGAD CAEP strongly supports the Loss and Damage agenda of the region to ensure it does not undermine regional efforts to achieve development, peace and stability.
What We Do
- Advocate for enhanced NDC ambitions, especially by the global north and high GHG emitters, to address the climate crisis.
- Support Member States in undertaking loss and damage research and capacity development
- IGAD CAEP supports regional efforts to raise awareness of loss and damage and promote coordinated and enhanced action across climate change and in support of those most impacted by climate disasters.
- Advocate for and support efforts to anchor Loss and Damage in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) or national climate change plans and policies, thus providing an opportunity for holistic climate action at the national level.
- Support Member States and communities in advocating for reliable and comprehensive loss and damage funding to address the ever-increasing cost of climate impact-related loss and damage burden, which is unsustainable.
- Advocate for and support regional climate justice agenda that puts vulnerable populations, including women, Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), refugees, migrants, children, and minority communities, front and centre of the Loss and Damage discourse.
- Support efforts to curate interactive discussions in the region that bring the Loss and Damage community and other relevant stakeholders together to ensure coordination and alignment and provide a platform for sharing loss and damage knowledge and idea, including scientific and indigenous technologies.
Contact Us
Phone Number:
(+252) 617 963 284
icaep@igad.int
Location:
KM5, Afgoye Road, Mogadishu, Somalia
Sat – Thurs: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Organization
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Connect With Us
Contact Us
Phone Number:
(+252) 617 963 284
icaep@igad.int
Location:
KM5, Afgoye Road, Mogadishu, Somalia
Sat – Thurs: 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
Organization
Useful Links
News & Updates
Signup to receive the latest IGAD CAEP news, articles, and resources, sent straight to your inbox every month.