As the COP27 climate summit drew to a close over the weekend, it's important to acknowledge that progress was made on climate adaptation - even if more can be done. "Climate adaptation" is a term for how countries adapt to the impacts of climate change. It could be, for instance, by strengthening infrastructure to better withstand disasters, moving towns out of floodplains, or transforming the agriculture sector to minimize food insecurity. As the costs of disasters climb, working out who will finance climate adaptation has become increasingly urgent for developing nations. For decades, they've called upon wealthy countries - largely responsible for causing the climate crisis in the first place - to foot the bill. So let's explore what COP27 achieved, how these achievements might translate into tangible commitments, and what must happen now to give everyone a fighting chance to survive on a hotter planet. A thorny issue The thorniest issues at climate change negotiations are about finance: who is giving, who is receiving, how is the money received and what kind of finance is made available. Developed countries don't have a good track record on this. In 2009, they committed to mobilizing US$100 billion per year of climate finance by 2020 - a target that remains unmet. What's more, most climate finance so far has been directed towards helping developing nations mitigate their emissions, rather than for adaptation. As Dina Saleh, the Regional Director of the United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development, explained during the conference, failing to help rural populations adapt could lead to more poverty, migrations and conflict. She said: "We are calling on world leaders from developed nations to honor their pledge to provide the $100 billion a year in climate finance to developing nations and to channel half of that [for] climate adaptation." Adaptation finance still falls short The... |