Page - 10 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

10 R.Mechler et al. tries,populationsandecosystems,dealingwithbothslow-andsudden-onsetevents, and paying particular attention to non-economic losses. Policy areas include con- siderationforresilience,recoveryandrehabilitationefforts,migration,displacement andmobility, aswell asfinancial instruments including insurance.Theworkplan is intended to integratealsowithotheron-goingworkunder theUNFCCC,suchason financeand technology. Fundamental to thisbook, and theclimatepolicydebate ingeneral, hasbeen the conceptofcomprehensive riskmanagement including transformationalapproaches. Themandateof theWIMincludesenhancingunderstandingofandpromotingboth short- andmedium-term riskmanagement, including risk analysis, risk reduction, risktransferandriskretention.Furthermore,theWIMistoconsidertransformational approachesthathelptobuildandstrengthenthelong-termresilienceofcountriesand communities (UNFCCC 2016, Decision 3/CP.22). Since the establishment of the WIM, theExComhasmet several times andhas transitioned from its initial 2-year workplan toa5-year rollingworkplan.Achievements and theWIMwill officially be reviewedatCOP25 in2019. Recent non-climate policy developments, such as the compact on Sendai (UNISDR2015), theSDGs(UN2015),aswellas theNansenInitiativeonDisplace- ment(nanseninitiative.org)anditsfollow-up,thePlatformonDisasterDisplacement (Displacement Solutions 2015) provide potential opportunities to increase under- standingofandrespondtogrowingclimate-relatedrisks, includingL&D.However, these approaches and preliminary actions are scattered across several sectors and actors,andtheirrelevancetoL&Dhasnotyetbeensystematicallyevaluatedwithlit- tleexchangebetweenresearchandpolicy. Inaddition, attention toL&Dinresearch and policy has tended to focus heavily on only a few aspects, such as insurance. Broaderreflection,particularlyonthedifferentdimensionsofL&Ddecision-making hasbeen largely lacking. While it is difficult to summarise thedifferent strandsof thediscourse(s), itmay be argued that essentially three issues havebeenhighlightedwithvarying levels of emphasisover time: 1. Burden sharing for the costs ofmanagingclimate impacts and risks (losses and damages) includingcompensationarrangements. 2. Awarenessregardingthesensitivityandlimitationsofhumanandnaturalsystems to climate change, and the need to respond with stringent climate mitigation policies for limitingwarming to1.5 °Cor2°C. 3. Supportforfurtherriskreductionandriskmanagementinterventionsforenhanc- ingclimatechangeadaptationandbuildingclimate resilience. Someobservershavesuggestedthattherehasbeenashift inthedebateawayfrom “harmfulwrongdoing”(1.) tomostlyconsideringsupport for riskandclimate insur- ancemechanisms(3.) (seeSerdecznyandZamarioli2018).While indeed, insurance mechanisms have been given substantial attention, it seems that the debate overall hasbecomemorecomprehensiveandthethreediscursivelinesratherexist inparallel offeringpotential tobe further alignedasdelineated in this book (see alsoMechler 2017).