BharatNotes Loss and Damage
The residual negative impacts of climate change that cannot be avoided through mitigation or adapted to — including both economic losses (infrastructure, crops) and non-economic losses (cultural heritage, biodiversity, loss of life).
Context & Background
Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM, COP19, 2013); Santiago Network (COP25, 2019); Fund agreed at COP27 (Sharm el-Sheikh, 2022); Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) fully operationalised at COP29 (Baku, November 2024) — Philippines is host country; World Bank is interim trustee; Executive Director: Ibrahima Cheikh Diong.
UPSC Exam Relevance
Total pledges ~$768 million (far below the hundreds of billions needed annually); US withdrew from the Fund in early 2025 (Trump administration, walked back $17.5M pledge); $250 million start-up package approved April 2025; India's position — historical emitters must contribute; India is both a vulnerable nation and a major emitter; equity dimension of climate finance.
