Page - vii - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

Foreword II: Perspective ofGermany Climate change can manifest itself in many ways, often with the most dramatic consequences for the poor andvulnerable.While our generation still has themeans to avert catastrophic outcomes by drastically cutting carbon emissions, some con- sequences are already felt today,with a profound effect to already pressing social, environmental and economic issues. “Every year a thousand people die here from cholera that is spread by flooding, and during the rainy season, many people are forced from their homes”,DavizSimango,Mayor ofBeira,Mozambique, explains. Theglobal community increasingly acknowledges climate risks andputs evermore effort into finding innovative ways to cope with them on the ground. Equally, development efforts need to build resilience against climate-related shocks and stressors. The Paris Agreement provides a solid basis and reminds rich countries of their responsibility. This is whyGermany via theGerman FederalMinistry for EconomicCooperation andDevelopment (BMZ) promotes comprehensive climate risk management, including mitigation of and adaptation to climate change, risk reductionmeasures aswell as risk finance instruments. For example, the BMZ supported the expansion of a renewables firm to East Africa, starting to install solar-based off-grid systems inUganda. In themeantime, the company also offers trainings for young people to become electrical engineers. Inaddition,we invest in storage facilities tohelpcoffeeplanters inRwandawhoare strugglingwithharvestsdue to increasingweather extremes.Alongwith thequality of harvests, the efforts safeguard their livelihoods and progress to sustainable development. We offer vocational training to households in Bangladesh whose entire arable land was destroyed due to riverbank erosion, forcing them to seek shelter in thebigger citynearby.Alongwithenhancingwater, sanitationandenergy infrastructure in cooperation with local residents, the programme helps migrants, smallbusinessesand theurbancommercealike.Finally,we fund the InsuResilience InvestmentFund (IIF),which invests inpartnercountries’ insuranceproviders, such as the microfinance institution Caja Sullana in Peru. Supported by the IIF, Caja Sullanaoffers insurance againstfloodanddrought to small farmers andbusinesses, triggering payouts of over USD 630,000 to almost 500 farmers and businesses to rebuild their destroyed assets. vii