COP28: Bringing the Vulnerable to the Forefront of Climate Funding

COP28: Bringing the Vulnerable to the Forefront of Climate Funding

MAHABAHU TEAM (From COP28, DUBAI)

As COP28 shifts its focus to financial support for those most at risk, the attention turns to the devastating impacts of climate upheaval on vulnerable communities, particularly youth and women in developing countries.

Notable individuals, like Oumy Gueye, aka OMG, a Senegalese singer and rapper, share personal experiences that underscore the urgency of climate action. OMG’s commitment to climate advocacy was triggered by the destruction of her grandparents’ home in Bargny, Senegal, due to rising seas.

OMG collaborates with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) as part of the ‘My Sahel’ project. This initiative, involving five major artists from the region, releases a track, and proceeds are allocated to the OCHA-managed humanitarian fund for West and Central Africa.

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OMG highlights the predicament faced by her peers, where rising temperatures and sea levels are destroying livelihoods, homes, fueling poverty, violence, and driving migration across perilous routes.

New Climate Action Account and Humanitarian Impact

At COP28, the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) launched a Climate Action Account to provide additional financing for humanitarian responses to climate-related disasters, including floods, droughts, storms, extreme heat, and building resilience. The humanitarian impact of climate change takes center stage at COP28, acknowledging its severe threat to vulnerable populations.

Loss and Damage Fund and Pledges at COP28

The loss and damage fund, agreed upon at COP27 and operationalized at COP28, is hailed as a key climate justice instrument. Pledges exceeding $650 million have been reported so far. Advocates stress the importance of ensuring that the most affected, particularly vulnerable communities, benefit from this funding.

With over 110 million forcibly displaced people globally, a significant portion is forced to flee their homes due to weather-related hazards, emphasizing the need to include their voices in plans and resource allocation.

Women Advocates and Empowering Innovations

Women advocates from affected communities take the spotlight at a COP28 event organized by the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), the UN migration agency (IOM), and partners. Challenges faced by displaced women, including the lack of reliable access to electricity, are discussed. More than 94 percent of displaced people lack sustained access to electricity, and increasing the use of renewables can alleviate this challenge.

Caroline Teti, a COP28 participant from the aid organization Give Directly, emphasizes the empowering nature of direct cash transfers to those suffering from climate impacts. Examples include a project in Mozambique that sent money to communities a week before a cyclone, enabling them to prepare for floods. Another project in Malawi provides lump-sum transfers to climate-vulnerable people, allowing them to move to safer areas.

Advocates call for a shift to more inclusive and innovative humanitarianism, leveraging the experiences of displaced people to develop solutions and end dependency.

Bernhard Kowatsch, head of the UN World Food Programme (WFP) Innovation Accelerator, emphasizes the need for more investment in high-impact innovations to mitigate the dire consequences of climate change. Projects leveraging private insurance, satellite imagery, and microfinance loans showcase the potential of innovative solutions in responding to climate challenges.

05-12-2023

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