In it 2024 Adaptation Gap Report: Come hell and high water, UNEP warns that vulnerable communities are bearing the brunt of the impacts of climate change due to extreme weather and natural disasters.
“Climate change is already devastating communities around the world, especially the poor and most vulnerable. Severe storms are flattening homes, wildfires are destroying forests, land degradation and drought are degrading landscapes,” said Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP.
“People, their livelihoods and the nature they depend on are in real danger as a result of climate change.. Without action, this is a preview of our future and why there is no reason now for the world not to get serious about adaptation.”
UNEP emphasizes that without immediate action, world temperatures could soon exceed 1.5°C and could even reach a catastrophic increase of 2.6-3.1°C above pre-war levels. industry at the end of this century.
Opening on 11 November in Baku, Azerbaijan, the 29th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) will see delegations from around the world. The world engages with top United Nations officials, civil society and other key sectors. to measure progress and negotiate the best ways to tackle climate change.
The climate crisis is here
“The climate crisis is here,” stated the United Nations Secretary General António Guterresemphasizes the urgency of immediate action as the world faces an onslaught of extreme weather events.
He emphasized the “human tragedy” behind it These disasters are “impacting health, increasing inequality, harming sustainable development and shaking the foundations of peace.”.
in one video messages At the report launch, Mr. Guterres called for action in key areas, including mainstreaming adaptation into national climate plans, deploying effective early warning systems and quickly increase the scale of finance for adaptation activities.
Additionally, countries must “attack the heart of the crisis: greenhouse gases,” he said.
“The climate crisis is here. We cannot delay protection. We must adapt – now.”
New common goal
The report highlights the growing gap between the funding needed for adaptation – the adjustments needed to slow the pace of global warming – and current levels of public investment.
Although international adaptation finance for developing countries has increased to $28 billion by 2022, it remains well below what is required, according to estimates. suggests that between USD 187 and 359 billion will be needed annually to close the adaptation financing gap.
In that context, UNEP calls for “new common quantitative goals” for climate finance at COP29 and include stronger adaptation components in their next round of climate commitments due early next year ahead of COP30 in Belém, Brazil.
Switch focus
In addition, it also calls on countries to make significant commitments at COP29 and beyond, including increasing financing as well as shifting the nature of adaptation funding from based on short-term projects to strategic, predictive investments.
This will help address long-term resilience, especially for vulnerable areas hardest hit by climate change.
UNEP proposes “enabling elements” that could open up funding for both the public and private sectors, such as creating financing funds and facilities, climate finance planning and tagging banks. climate policy as well as adaptation investment planning.
In Sudan, climate change is putting additional pressure on the country’s already scarce water resources.
Support innovation
The report also emphasizes the role of multilateral development banks in increasing funding and support innovative financial solutions.
For the private sector, UNEP supports risk mitigation mechanisms, attract more investment in adaptation.
The organization added that finance alone is not enough, and called on countries to increase capacity building and technology transfer to strengthen adaptation efforts in the key areas of water and food. and agriculture.
