The unvirtuous cycle of loss and damage: Addressing systemic impacts of climate change in small islands from a vulnerability perspective

Abstract

Historically, climate change vulnerability and loss and damage have been conceptualized as a narrow and linear pathway—with geographic and socioeconomic vulnerability leading to increasing incidents of loss and damage. However, this conceptualization falls short of considering how evolving and cumulative loss and damage affects the stability and economic security of island nations, contributes to development rollbacks and increases vulnerability to future climate impacts. We highlight the limitations of how relationships between vulnerability, loss and damage and development have been understood and applied by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and consequently in the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to address these multi‐scalar, systemic and cumulative impacts. Other approaches consider relationships between climate change, vulnerability and larger developmental impacts, including the concept of a multidimensional vulnerability index (MVI). But experiences with MVI in other international forums have not been positive and may in fact put more pressure on developing countries to compete for limited financial resources. Introducing MVI into the UNFCCC system, may, therefore, be detrimental to Small Island Developing States and marginalize other developing countries. Instead, more pressure should be placed on developed countries to broaden their understanding of loss and damage and make more climate finance available to developing countries that are bearing the brunt of climate impacts. There may now be greater opportunity within the UNFCCC framework to address these cyclical and systemic aspects of loss and damage with new and enhanced financial arrangements for loss and damage, as well as the establishment of a loss and damage fund. We argue that these new institutional developments should include broader and cyclical concepts of loss and damage.