Addressing Climate Change Adaptation Financing: Challenges and Opportunities

The UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) will tackle financing adaptation strategies amid concerns that misusing the complexity of measuring adaptation could limit funding, more so for Global South countries. Experts Dr. Schipper and Dr. Mukherji warn against labeling beneficial measures maladaptive, emphasizing the need for effective and contextual funding, alongside better understanding of vulnerability factors to address climate change impact.

The upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP29), scheduled for November 11 to 22, 2024, in Baku, Azerbaijan, will spotlight the crucial matter of financing climate change adaptation strategies. Professors Dr. Lisa Schipper from the University of Bonn and Dr. Aditi Mukherji, Director of the CGIAR Climate Impact Platform, express their concerns in the journal Science, highlighting the risks of leveraging the opaque measurability of adaptation strategies as a rationale for cutting funding. Both scholars contributed to the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Ongoing debates among countries revolve around how to finance such strategies, who is responsible for payments, and how the success or failure of these measures should be assessed. Dr. Schipper cautions against the narrative suggesting that the complexity of measuring adaptation success justifies reduced support: “If political decision-makers claim that it is impossible to measure the success of adaptation measures due to their complexity, this can have an impact on the financing of such measures.” The current discourse is further complicated by skepticism from Global North nations regarding the reliability of adaptation indicators. Absent these indicators, nations in the Global South confront significant hurdles in justifying their funding requests. Despite the risks of maladaptation—instances where adaptation efforts unintentionally worsen conditions due to poor execution—the authors emphasize the tangible progress made globally over the past decade, which demands evaluation and enhancements. An illustrative point made by Dr. Mukherji involves irrigation practices often labeled as maladaptation due to claims of unequal resource distribution. However, she argues that when appropriate crops are cultivated in suitable ecological contexts, irrigation can serve as a vital mechanism for sustenance and development: “This is not a problem if appropriate crops suited to overall ecology and water endowments are grown using irrigation.” It is therefore critical to refrain from preemptive labeling of beneficial strategies as maladaptive, as this could obscure the potential advantages of such measures for communities in need. The discourse seldom addresses the underlying vulnerabilities exacerbating individuals’ susceptibility to climate change, often related to socio-economic exclusion based on ethnicity, religion, or political affiliation. Rather than being forced into high-risk flood zones, these communities would benefit from the installation of early warning systems. The authors advocate for understanding maladaptation as a cautionary tale and a framework for improvement, recommending a climate reparations agenda that channels necessary funding to the most impacted populations, many of whom are least responsible for the ongoing climate crisis. Dr. Mukherji references the pressing financial requirements outlined by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), which estimates that “hundreds of billions need to be raised annually for such adaptation measures.” Accordingly, Dr. Schipper emphasizes the necessity of ensuring that allocated funds are utilized effectively, aligning them with developmental objectives to avert maladaptive outcomes: “The task now is to ensure that the money that is spent is used effectively and carefully aligns with development needs and agendas to avoid maladaptive outcomes.” The discourse surrounding climate adaptation remains critical, and COP29 represents a pivotal moment to address these challenges head-on, shaping the future of climate resilience, particularly for vulnerable communities.

This article addresses the critical discussions expected to unfold during the UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) regarding the financing of climate change adaptation strategies. The authors, Professors Dr. Lisa Schipper and Dr. Aditi Mukherji, emphasize the importance of reliable measurement and evaluation of adaptation efforts, particularly for countries in the Global South. They argue against the narrative of maladaptation, which can hinder funding by casting doubts on the efficacy of adaptation measures amidst complex socio-economic contexts and political dynamics.

The discourse on climate adaptation financing is more urgent than ever as leading experts weigh in on the consequences of mislabeling adaptation efforts as maladaptive and the subsequent risks this poses to funding availability for vulnerable populations. Emphasizing the need for effective measurement and proper contextual understanding, the authors advocate for a climate reparations framework that allocates necessary resources to those most impacted by climate change while ensuring that the funds align with developmental needs.

Original Source: www.cgiar.org