Thailand: Climate change - Adaption or action to prevent the worst

The climate talks under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in Bangkok ended on September 5. The event was held to prepare for the 18th conference of parties (COP18), which will be held in Doha, Qatar in December. The Nation reports that, despite not moving forward significantly, one new topic that gained momentum during the talks was the issue of loss and damage from climate change.

This topic originates from the 17th conference of parties (COP17) of the UNFCCC held in Durban, South Africa in December 2011, during which a work programme was adopted on the topic of "Loss and Damage from Climate Change." The programme consists of a series of regional expert workshops towards preparing a decision at COP18 in Doha. The Nation states that while the topic remains unclear and a consensus on even what the terms should mean has not been reached, some conceptual clarity seems to have emerged through these expert workshops.