By Maxine Joselow, The Washington PostPeople walk through floodwaters in Dadu, Pakistan, in September 2022. MUST CREDIT: Saiyna Bashir for The Washington Post
“Lives and livelihoods are being lost and destroyed, with the vulnerable suffering the most,” he said. “Yet as needs rise, action is stalling.” The findings underscore a cycle of inequality: Developing countries that have contributed the least to climate change are suffering the most because of decisions by rich, industrialized countries to continue burning fossil fuels and pumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. And those wealthy nations are not providing more cash to help poor countries cope with the consequences of their actions.
At last fall’s international climate summit in Egypt, negotiators from nearly 200 nations agreed to establish a fund to help vulnerable countries address “loss and damage” — U.N. jargon for the irreversible, unavoidable impacts of global warming. But nearly a year later, nations are still squabbling over the most basic elements of the fund, including who should pay into it and who should benefit.
The U.N. emphasized that proactive investments in adaptation can stave off even costlier climate damages in the future. For example, a $1 billion investment in protecting communities from coastal flooding can prevent $14 billion in damage from destroyed homes and infrastructure. Early-warning systems, which alert communities to approaching extreme weather, can yield a tenfold return on investment.
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