Pacific SIDS put Loss and Damage under the spotlight ahead of COP27

Pacific SIDS put Loss and Damage under the spotlight ahead of COP27

Climate change impacts, like sea-level rise, exceeding the coping capacity of countries, are called Loss and Damage. Over the past years, SIDS and other developing countries have been calling for financial mechanisms to support their efforts in addressing loss and damage. Ahead of the upcoming Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP27) in Egypt, where Loss and Damage is expected to be a key area of negotiations, the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) organized a Virtual Workshop on Loss and Damage. The workshop objective was to share experiences and advance discussions among Pacific SIDS on the call for a Loss and Damage Finance Facility. The session allowed the delegates to “consider the emerging opportunities to provide a broader view on the loss and damage landscape and to encourage Pacific SIDS to organize themselves strategically for the global climate change negotiations”. In the meantime, and on the sideline of the 77th session UN General Assembly in New York, Denmark has committed about USD 13 million specifically for loss and damage. 

SIDS are particularly prone to the impacts of climate change and Pacific SIDS are no exception. Last July, the ADB published a review of evidence to inform guidance on selecting sea-level rise (SLR) projections for climate risk and adaptation assessments in the Pacific Islands Region. The document highlighted that “not only is SLR greater than 1 m (relative to the 1995–2014 baseline) conceivable at some point in the 21st century, but it is also plausible that SLR could exceed 2 m by 2100.” The review also reported that most Pacific Islands are subsiding which would magnify the impact of SLR.  

As the degradation of marine and coastal ecosystems in the Pacific and elsewhere is weakening the ocean’s ability to play its role as climate regulator, this situation not only affects SIDS, but will have global impacts. More than ever, the need for stronger global cooperation to accelerate climate action is needed.

Image: MR Roderick J. Mackenzie / New Zealand Defence Force via Getty

See full SIDS Bulletin 64 here.