Barriers to addressing climate change-related losses and damages in low- and middle-income countries

Since 2015, the increasing number and intensifying nature of the impacts of climate change worldwide and the lack of progress on both the mitigation and adaptation goals outlined in the Paris Agreement has heightened attention on addressing climate-related losses and damages, particularly in countries in the Global South.

Actions and mechanisms for addressing losses and damages are numerous, from measures to preserve lives, livelihoods and dignity, and minimise loss of biodiversity, to the replacement or repair of assets that were lost or damaged, to supporting livelihood recovery and population resettlement to safer locations. However, there is no international policy framework to guide and organise these measures for addressing losses and damages, resulting in partial measures and insufficient financial arrangements.

This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) begins to identify different barriers and assess how they are constraining efforts to address climate-related losses and damages in low- and middle-income countries. It also analyses how frequently these barriers are reported and analysed in the policy and academic literature, and highlights variations across contexts.

Key Messages

• This Rapid Evidence Assessment (REA) identifies nine different barriers to addressing climate-related losses and damages in low- and middle-income countries and assesses the strength of evidence in relation to each.
• Economic and financial barriers are those most frequently reported and analysed in the literature, specifically, the lack of sufficient, predictable, timely and accessible funding for countries, communities and subnational institutions.
• Even when funding is available, policies and delivery mechanisms have often overlooked the importance of addressing all types of losses and damages, and neglected the needs of the most vulnerable.
• Knowledge barriers underpin almost all other types of barriers. Challenges in recognising and assessing non-economic losses and damages in particular, contribute to their diminished perceived importance.
• There is clear need to advance collective knowledge on how to address current and future climate-related losses and damages.