This report takes a closer look at the interface between humanitarian assistance and addressing certain aspects of loss and damage through the lens of OCHA’s role in coordinating and mobilizing funding for humanitarian activities.
Section 1 explains that the report studies OCHA’s role in coordinating and mobilizing finance for humanitarian action through CERF and CBPFs, and that it looks at specific humanitarian responses and activities coordinated in the field after disaster has struck (for example, providing shelter, food, and assistance for livelihoods and food security) with the view to determining if life-saving activities have co-benefits of addressing certain aspects of loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change. This section also explains the methodology applied.
Sections 2 and 3 provide key findings and recommendations.
Section 4 provides background information and relies on the IPCC’s findings that climate change is already contributing to humanitarian crises where climate hazards interact with high vulnerability. The section echoes the IPCC’s conclusion that losses and damages will become increasingly difficult to avoid, while being strongly concentrated among the poorest and most vulnerable populations.
Section 5 examines the impacts of climate change and what is meant by extreme weather events and slow- onset events, giving a brief overview of sector-based impacts. It also clarifies the terminology used.
Section 6 reviews loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change, including extreme events and slow-onset events. It also gives a brief overview of Loss and Damage under the UNFCCC process.
Section 7 looks at how OCHA’s life-saving activities are addressing certain components of loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change. It begins with a description of OCHA’s central funds (CERF and the CBPFs), considers OCHA’s climate-related allocations and finance flows, and provides important contribution figures. In addition, it looks at OCHA’s immediate response in the wake of climate disasters and demonstrates how these life-saving activities address certain aspects of loss and damage.
The last sections of the report consist of six case studies, each of which explores the circumstances in which a specific country received support from OCHA, as communicated to the UNFCCC. It looks at a specific climate hazard for which OCHA coordinated and mobilized finance for humanitarian action and describes the sector impacted and the losses and damages suffered. Of particular importance is the finding that OCHA’s life-saving activities are already addressing certain components of loss and damage.
The report concludes that the impacts of climate change are increasing in severity and frequency, and vulnerable countries bear the brunt of it. It further concludes that OCHA is uniquely placed to have a major impact in coordinating and mobilizing finance in response to these increasing climate hazards, and that it is already playing a crucial role in an evolving space.
