The next chapter for Loss and Damage after COP30: Building the systems countries and communities need 

In the days after Hurricane Melissa, as my fellow Jamaicans worked to recover their lives and livelihood, I reflected on our instinct as a people that has always been to rise again – mending the roofs, salvaging the things that matter, and comforting each other. In Jamaica, we rise after every blow – we have done so for centuries. 

But Melissa also reminded us that resilience must be matched with systems that help communities rebuild smarter and break the cycle of repeated loss. That truth sits at the heart of this year’s discussions on Loss and Damage at COP30. 

Decisive steps forward for Loss and Damage at COP30 

Once a distant aspiration, addressing Loss and Damage is finally becoming a key operational pillar of the global climate architecture. In Belém, the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), created less than two years ago, issued its first $250 million call for proposals. This gives a strong signal for countries to now move from pledges to action.  

Delegates also refined guidance to the FRLD, focusing on enabling direct access, ensuring faster disbursement for highly vulnerable countries, and giving clearer direction on how non-economic losses should be presented in proposals. These may seem like technical details, but they are precisely the issues that determine whether finance becomes usable for people on the ground. 

Recent analysis shows why this matters: the Global Infrastructure Resilience Report 2025 finds that infrastructure failures can cost economies up to seven times more than the direct physical damage caused by disasters. Without stronger systems to absorb support, even timely Loss and Damage finance risks being overwhelmed. 

Parties also advanced the third review of the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM), the UNFCCC’s main body for strengthening knowledge, coordination and support on loss and damage. The review looked at how well the WIM has delivered on those functions and what improvements are needed to help countries move from analysis to action.  

Closely linked to this is the Santiago Network, which serves as the UNFCCC’s technical assistance mechanism – connecting vulnerable countries with the expertise they need to assess losses, strengthen governance and prepare for accessing Loss and Damage support. For many countries, this practical support will be as important as finance itself, because strong systems determine whether resources reach communities quickly and effectively. 

Discussions this year also touched on the implications of the recent Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice, which clarifies states’ obligations to act on climate change and cooperate to protect vulnerable communities. While the legal process sits outside the UNFCCC, its findings are already shaping debates on responsibility, equity and the level of support countries should expect as climate impacts intensify. 

Building the systems countries and communities need 

From a disaster risk reduction perspective, this shift is critical. Disasters are never “natural.” They emerge from the intersection of hazard and exposure, of development choices and the resources available to people long before a hurricane, flood or drought arrives.  

With the FRLD’s first funding window now open, Loss and Damage finance will only make a meaningful difference if countries have systems capable of absorbing it – systems that can measure impacts, plan across sectors, reach the most vulnerable and protect development gains. This is where risk governance, climate adaptation and development planning converge. 

Several countries are already beginning to build this foundation.  

In Belize, work is under way to establish one of the first national frameworks on Loss and Damage, bringing together ministries, Indigenous leaders and communities to design governance arrangements that reflect local realities.  

El Salvador’s analysis of projected losses across key sectors shows that damages could rise by more than a third by 2050 without stronger action. The findings are informing updates to the country’s Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC), demonstrating how evidence can drive ambition.   

And in Mozambique, efforts to quantify historical losses – using adapted post-disaster assessment tools – have guided both NDC 3.0 and recommendations to strengthen institutions and risk governance. 

These examples highlight that implementing Loss and Damage is ultimately about capability. Countries need robust data, institutions and decision-making pathways to assess impacts, plan for resilient recovery and channel resources effectively.  

Inclusive approaches – those that elevate the voices of women, youth, Indigenous Peoples and displaced communities – ensure that solutions reflect lived realities. Rapid-financing tools, and mechanisms to access them such as crisis modifiers and pre-arranged trigger mechanisms, show how early action can reduce future losses. 

 The Santiago Network will play an important role in strengthening these capabilities. With more than 20 requests for technical assistance already submitted, it is becoming a gateway for countries to access the support they need to prepare for direct access to the FRLD. As a member of the Network, UNDP is working with governments to integrate Loss and Damage into national systems, strengthen risk governance and design implementation-ready approaches linked to the FRLD’s emerging modalities.  

The road ahead: turning decisions into delivery 

Looking ahead, several priorities stand out. Countries need stronger, more integrated governance systems that connect Loss and Damage to adaptation, preparedness, social protection and long-term development.  

Strengthening early warning systems and further investments in reducing risks will reduce future burdens on communities and on the Fund. Improving assessments of non-economic losses will ensure that what communities value most is factored into the planning and financing arrangements. Building capability for direct access at national and local levels will be essential to ensure that resources reach those most exposed and catalyse urgent actions necessary to build resilience and sustain hard won development gains. 

Loss and Damage is ultimately about dignity. It is about protecting the things people cannot easily replace – livelihoods, heritage, belonging. As we move beyond COP30, the real work begins now: turning global commitments into the systems and capabilities countries and communities need. If we succeed, the next time a hurricane or drought comes, recovery will not begin from zero. It will begin from strength.