The impacts of climate change will cause damage and loss of the government and community properties. Extreme and slow onset events such as floods and drought will threaten food security, increased diseases, deaths and some people will be forced to move from their homes as environmental refugees.

COP16 established a work programme to consider approaches to address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

COP18 acknowledged the further work to advance the understanding of and experience on loss and damage. COP18 decided to establish, at COP19 institutional arrangement such as an international mechanism, including functions and modalities to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change in developing countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effect of climate change. COP18 requested that SBI to elaborate activities under the work programme to further the understanding of and expertise on loss and damage associated with the adverse effect of climate change

The developing countries through the Subsidiary Body for Implementation (SBI) are expected to work towards the establishment of institutional arrangement with a view to preparing a draft decision for consideration and adoption at COP19. Activities under work programme are expected to be elaborated.

The SBI’s position therefore was the establishment of the international mechanism to address loss and damage associated with the impacts of climate change in accordance with decision COP18.

The International mechanism should address loss and damage associated with the adverse effect of climate change from extreme and slow onset events in developing countries especially the least developed countries and Small Island developing states and other developing countries particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change.

This has been received with mixed feelings from the parties to the convention. The industrialised nations do not want the establishment of the international mechanism and is most likely that decision will not be reached easily here in Warsaw due to huge divergence of views between developed and developing countries.

Developed Countries have stated loss and damage be addressed as follows; Developed countries believed that there should be a diverse range of responses, developing countries and international organisations are required to integrate climate change into development efforts.

Instead of the international mechanism, developed countries propose establishment of Warsaw Platform for loss and damage, under the Cancun Adaptation Framework. Others require a loss and damage Task Force under the Adaptation Committee

The institutional arrangements should provide overall leadership and coordination under the Convention to facilitate efforts to reduce the risk of loss and damage through enhanced adaptation action.

Developed countries stress that institutional arrangement should recognize the role of the private sector. This implies such actions as insurance. To delay the action some action, some parties are proposing establishment of dialogue with relevant stakeholders on how to address loss and damage.

Ends….