Implement Loss and Damage Fund to avert unbearable impacts of Climate Change

Africa has contributed less than 4% of greenhouse gas emissions bearing the burden of rich countries that emit bulk greenhouse gas emissions.

In the 3rd African Regional Conference on Loss and Damage which is taking place in Lilongwe Malawi, African countries are pushing for implementation of the Loss and Damage fund which was operationalised at Cop 28, held in Dubai last year.

The discussions surround the instrumental role of African countries in the governance of the Loss and Damage Fund and also secure enhanced action at the frontline and optimise on benefit from the Fund.

In her opening remarks, the former President of Malawi and now the ambassador of Loss and Damage Fund, Dr. Joyce Banda, said it is time to minimise talks and implement what has already been committed.

“Let me hasten to add that fit-for-purpose climate change adaptation strategy is one that is inclusive and empowers communities through bottom-up approach that I have termed smart villages. This is a community that has food security, environmental management skills, clean energy for cooking, financial inclusion, a school, hospital, a church or a mosque”, said Banda.

She admits that since Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi killing over 1000 people, and destroying the infrastructure, not much help has been received.

“We here in Malawi have just proved that this strategy works, following a pilot project in Kasungu in what has been a unique collaboration of our equal partners. Community Development Initiative in collaboration with government which gave land to resettle the affected and international partners who gave funding it is one sure way of putting climate financing resources to good use, said Banda.

At the end of the COP27, the UN climate summit agreed to set up a “Loss and Damage Fund” to support vulnerable countries to avert, minimise and address the adverse impacts of climate change, overcoming decades of resistance from rich nations who contribute the bulk of the world's greenhouse gas emissions.

However, the complexities of the mechanism for calculating losses by developing nations, and paying out of damages by wealthy nations, have never been worked out.

Charles Mwangi, Head of programs and Research at Pan African Climate Justice Alliance says, “We celebrate these small wins cautiously because it is clear in our minds that a lot more needs to be done especially in ensuring that the fund is well-resourced. The USD 800 Million dollars pledged at the height of COP 28 negotiations was way too little to address the huge demand for loss and damage funds. This underpins the importance of this third dialogue because we must sustain pressure and hold duty bearers to account.”

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), climate change has caused substantial damages, and increasingly irreversible losses, in terrestrial, freshwater, cryosphere and coastal and open ocean ecosystems.

Speaking to the delegates who attended Loss and Damage dialogue, Minister for Natural Resources and Climate Change, Dr. Michael Usi estimates that Malawi needs $ 700 million to rebuild from the vast losses and damages caused by Cyclone Freddy.

“Let us focus at our problems and see what we can do together. As Malawians Kenyans, Zambians and other countries represented here should start focusing on what we have. Loss and damage fund is not academic subject it is the real. Issues of Loss and damage are ethical in nature, political in nature and Cognito in nature and from the political perspective so that our voice can be informed our voice should be shared with our Pan African good will ambassador on climate justice,” remarked Usi.

“It is one year down the line since cyclone Freddie destroyed the livelihood of Malawi people. We cannot wait anymore for loss and damage fund that we don’t know when it will come. The structures and financial modalities are complex. We are looking forward to empowering our people to rebuild back their lives to adapt to these extreme adverse weather changes that keep on occurring,” he noted.

Charles added that available data indicates that we have to cut our emissions by 43% by 2030 in order to manage temperature rise to below 1.5 degrees, ironically all our current NDCs combined have placed us on a 2.7-degree trajectory. This means that we are likely to experience more severe impacts of climate change especially droughts and Cyclones and especially in Africa.  

On his part Executive Director at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance, Dr. Mithika Mwenda has called on political will to tackle the effects of Climate change.

“Like you saw here in Malawi, there is political will, former president Joyce Banda, Minister for Natural resources, Dr. Michael Usi, Permanent secretary in the ministry of Natural resources all converged at Mbingu wa Mutharika convention to show solidarity in the fight against climate change,” noted Mithika.

Countries in the Horn of Africa, in the past years, have experienced severe droughts and extreme flash floods related to Climate change, threatening the livelihoods of many.