Page - 31 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

1 Science forLossandDamage.FindingsandPropositions 31 limited in their possibilities to improve the spatial and temporal resolutionofflood forecasts.This isbecause thesecountries lack thefundingandcapacitynecessary to use state-of-the-art technology (i.e., computing power, advanced hydrological and meteorologicalmodels) and acquire or collectmore granular data, such as digital- elevation-model data. In addition, thepoor and thevulnerable canoftennot benefit fromearlywarning/earlyaction informationdue to thedigital divide. As an area of futurework, progressive levels of innovation and technology are required to lead from incremental to transformative change,where theUNFCCC’s TechnologyMechanism can play a more prominent role (van den Homberg and McQuistan 2018). TheWIMExecutive Committeemay innovatively consider an assessmentof technologiesfromaclimatejusticeperspective,whichmeansrethink- ingaccess, use, innovation,finance, and (bottom-up)governancemechanisms from theperspectiveof thepoorandvulnerable. Enabling joint learning regarding technologies (and othermeans of implemen- tation) for buffering against high-level risks is necessary for understanding how to overcomesoftandavoidhardlimits.Thismaybeappealingfordevelopedanddevel- oping countries sharing similar exposure and risk,where limits to adaptation need attention(e.g., in theArctic,mountainareaswithglacial retreat, etc.).Ajointnarra- tivewillbeneeded tosupport and incentivise the requisite transformationofenergy generation, consumption, but alsoadaptationefforts across theglobe.An improved understandingof actual andpotential “dangerous interferencewith theclimate sys- tem” at riskmanagement scales and across geographiesmay indeed be a decisive enabler. 1.6 Conclusions ThebookhasbeenajointeffortoftheLossandDamageNetworkthatbringstogether scientistsandpractitionersfrommorethan40institutionsaroundtheglobetoinform theL&Ddebate.Offering a detailed overviewof themultiple facets of knowledge emerging on the topic of L&D, the volume is a first comprehensive review of the state of play regarding the science, political debate, practice aswell as any policy proposalsseeingorlookingforimplementation.TheWIMisnowwell intoits5-year work plan, and after COP23 inBonn, the first climate summit chaired by a small islandstate(Fiji), theWIMstandstodeliveronitsvariousworkstreams.In2018,one focus is on the role offinance in supporting actions to addressL&D, forwhich the so-calledSuvaexpertdialoguewascarriedoutinmid-2018toprojectawayforward. Thisandotheractivitieswill informthereviewof theWIMbytheUNFCCCParties duringsessionsof thesubsidiarybodies in2019, leading toproper reviewatCOP25 inRio.Aswe demonstrated, the science hasmatured, and interest in the issues is increasing. The IPCChas started to pick up on the discussion and considers L&D in its 1.5 °C report published inOctober2018, in special reports onoceans and the cryosphere, and land, aswell as in its6thAssessmentReportdue in2022.