Policy paper: Loss & damage

This paper is a contribution by the Danish Red Cross and CARE Denmark to the ongoing discussions on the climate change driven losses and damages. It aims to deepen the understanding of economic and non-economic loss and damage, the way it is experienced by people and communities, and the approaches adopted by the international and local community to respond to climate induced disasters. The paper is structured around 10 climate disasters that have occurred across the global south and affected people and planet both socially and economically. The cases presented in this paper allude to the most frequent impacts of climate disasters and examine both the economic and non-economic losses and damages as well as the responses provided.

The paper presents the cases through a narrative description and an accompanying table where available data have been collated for each disaster. The analysis of each case also builds on qualitative data collected through interviews with key informants and desk research. The mapping of the disasters aims to provide a humanitarian perspective on the impacts, the responses and the risks linked to preexisting  vulnerabilities. The paper concludes with a set of findings and policy recommendations. Reflections on the methodology, definitions, and data limitations are presented in Annex I-III.