UNESCO: Fostering new partnership on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes

UNESCO and the University of South Pacific (USP) signed a new partnership agreement on 30th June 2015 to implement the Malaysia Funds- in- Trust project on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes in multi-countries including Samoa, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, the Cook Islands and Timor Leste. Denis Chang Seng, the Natural Science Programme Specialist for the Pacific States said this was a major milestone. It had been challenging to get to this point. He warned that working on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes is quite a technical and complex working area. In the majority of instances people do not fully understand and grasp the issue of loss and damage from climate change. As loss and damage is an emerging and growing issue globally, it is important to carry out the project work cautiously and meticulously. Rigorous scientific approaches need to be developed to explore the issue.

At the global level, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) leads the agenda and negotiations on Loss and Damage.

UNESCO Apia Office launched an Open International Competition (OIC) to identify a partner to support the implementation of the project activities in the Pacific region. The OIC attracted eight international proposals. Negotiations commenced between UNESCO and USP in early May 2015.

Earlier UNESCO had launched an inter-regional dialogue in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on loss and damage from climate extremes and climate change at the International Workshop on Sustainability Science for Sustainable Development held between 2-5th March 2015.

This project will include conducting a detailed literature review on loss and damage from climate change and climate extremes, in–country surveys and consultations, capacity building and knowledge sharing. This project is due to be completed at the end of the first quarter 2016.