Embracing Discomfort - A Call to Enable Finance for Climate-Change Adaptation in Conflict Settings

Author(s)
Cao, Y., Khatri, N., and Quevedo, A.
Publication language
English
Pages
20
Date published
01 Oct 2022
Type
Research, reports and studies
Keywords
Conflict, violence & peace, Environment & climate, Funding and donors, Recovery and Resillience, Climate Action (SDG)
Organisations
Supporting Pastoralism and Agriculture in Recurrent and Protracted Crises (SPARC)
Link
Resource on the ODI website

People living in places affected by conflict are among the world’s most vulnerable and least ready to adapt to an increasingly unpredictable and extreme climate. Yet they remain largely excluded from accessing finance for climate adaptation. Urgent action is therefore needed to remedy this situation.

The recommendations in this paper build on existing work to identify obstacles on climate action in conflict settings, including discussions convened by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Bank. They were formulated on the basis of consultations with government officials; humanitarian, peacebuilding and development organizations; international financial institutions; operating entities under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) financial mechanism (the climate funds); and independent researchers and experts in the fields of climate finance and adaptation.

This paper has been issued by seven co-signatory organisations – International Committee of the Red Cross, International Council of Voluntary Agencies, MercyCorps, ODI, Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and World Food Programme.

Recommendations:

  • - Approach risk differently to enable climate change adaptation in places affected by conflict.
  • - Enable climate adaptation writ large and small: deliver at multiple scales and with diverse actors.
  • - Work better together: optimise complementary mandates and expertise across different sectors of the international aid architecture.
  • - Address structural divisions and silos that hinder informed action.
  • Implementing these recommendations means making changes that venture into unfamiliar territory, politically and technically. It will therefore require strong political will - a shift from the comfort zone of the status quo. What is required now, to fulfil the commitment to leave no one behind, is to embrace discomfort in framing, processing and allocating climate finance.

 

For more information, please contact Yue Cao (y.cao@odi.org.uk) and Adriana Quevedo (a.quevedo@odi.org.uk).