Climate extremes, many now clearly attributable to human-caused climate change, cause devastating impacts across the globe. Loss and Damage – which means climate impacts exceeding the adaptive capacity of countries, communities and ecosystems – is already happening and has ramifications for Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs). These are impacts of slow onset processes like sea level rise or rising temperatures, and extreme events such as floods, hurricanes and tropical cyclones. But what processes are in place to help these vulnerable countries address Loss and Damage, and what progress are they making? What scientific inputs are necessary to support and advance these processes? And what are the opportunities for the scientific community to contribute?
This page provides background material and key resources on loss and damage, including scientific studies and briefing material relating to the policy process under the UNFCCC.