In memoriam: CJRF dedicates this work to Dr. Pablo Suarez (1970-2024), who gave us so many inspiring examples of joyful community learning, honest engagement with complexity, and creative climate communications.
In a year-long collaborative effort, the Climate Justice Resilience Fund brought together diverse communities of climate and development practitioners whose work spanned research, policy, and practice, to define the complex relationship between loss and damage (L&D) and climate adaptation. The reality is that L&D and adaptation are deeply interrelated, yet understanding their connection requires a clearer understanding of how they influence one another. CJRF believes that a better grasp of the relationship between L&D and adaptation can enhance effectiveness in addressing climate justice issues and help bring funding to where it best supports frontline communities.
Conversations and Crises
Initially, we gathered members of the research community at the 2023 Adaptation Futures conference In Montreal, Canada. Then we brought a workshop to the policy community at the 2023 Development & Climate Days at COP 28 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Finally, we convened practitioners at the 2024 Community Based Adaptation conference in Arusha,Tanzania. Through these three events, we were able to gather insights from a broad cross-section of the global community that works on climate and development. The iterative, dialogue-centered process served as a generative experiment. We wanted to see whether and how intersecting communities of practice can collectively grapple with the conceptual challenges around the issue of loss and damage – challenges that, if not resolved, could create barriers to establishing policy, finance, and action that effectively address the most serious consequences of climate change. In particular, we wanted to engage these professional communities up-front in differentiating L&D from other areas, so that, down the road, funding programs will not place this burden on communities.
In an emblem of the issues at hand, shortly after convening in Montreal, large swaths of Quebec were engulfed in flames. After the COP meeting in Dubai, the region faced unprecedented flooding. Finally, this year Tanzania has faced escalating floods, right on the heels of an extended drought. These events are, of course, not isolated to the path of our community of practice, but their occurrences help to demonstrate the growing and widespread nature of damaging events that can be linked to the climate crisis, and help make the case for the finalization of a fully operational and robust L&D fund.
Multiple Understandings
Through the community process that evolved over the three conferences, the conversation advanced from a more theoretical discussion about the terms to a coalescing around a set of ideas. These are represented in a set of visuals co-created with participants. These visuals, below, encapsulate the current understanding of the interplay between L&D and adaptation.
Since the process centered on community input, we did not strive for one final output. This more open-ended outcome allows for more diverse approaches and insights, and leaves space for a continuation of the conversation.
How You Can Engage
We welcome all to take part in the continuation of this conversation with us directly or through this discussion question set and with this workshop presentation that we encourage all to make their own and carry out in their communities and organizations.
CJRF expresses its gratitude to the many people and groups who contributed their brain power, convening space, facilitation skills, and artistic inclination to this series of workshops and its outputs. In particular, we thank International Institute for Sustainable Development, International Center for Climate Change and Development, and Tebtebba, who co-convened the three sessions with us. Thanks also to artist Rebeka Ryvola de Kremer (introduced to us by Pablo), who wrote this blog and translated workshop participants’ sketches into the colorful graphics you see here.