Page - 263 - in Loss and Damage from Climate Change - Concepts, Methods and Policy Options

11 TheRoleof thePhysicalSciences inLossandDamage… 263 alsovanVuurenetal.2011):mitigationcosts,adaptationcostsandresidualdamage. In this context addressingL&Dis seen as addressing those losses that are likely to occurdespite adaptationandmitigationefforts. ThisacademicexerciseofframingL&D(seealsochaptersbyMechleretal.2018 and James et al. 2018 in this book) is replicated amongst policymakers—where differentinterpretationsofscopeandconceptareapparentamongstUNFCCCParties, ashighlightedbyKreft (2012): “SomeParties suggest thatL&Dis the residual risk whenmitigation is insufficient, andwhen the full potential of adaptation is notmet (Norway)whileothersframeL&Dastheresiduallossesanddamagesaftermitigation andadaptationchoiceshavebeenmade (Gambia).Ghanaproposes that theconcept ofLoss andDamage from theadverse effects of climatebeviewedas additional to adaptation focusingon challenges of both identifying and addressing the instances when adaptation is no longer possible. However, Boliviamaintains that Loss and Damage from the adverse effects of climate change concept is beyond adaptation, and as such is additional to adaptation, focusing on challenges of both identifying andaddressing the instanceswhenadaptation isno longerpossible” (Kreft 2012). Thisdiscoursehighlights thatstakeholdershavedifferentprioritiesandambitions foractiononL&D.Thosecanbebroadlysummarisedinthreecategoriesofdecision goals forL&D(Surminski andLopez2014): • Tocreateawarenessabout thesensitivityofhumanandnatural systemstoclimate andtheneedtorespondwithappropriatemitigation,adaptationandDRRpolicies (UNFCCC2012b). • Todevelopriskreductionandriskmanagementresponses,withthegoaltoenhance adaptation to reducevulnerabilityandbuild resilience; in this case theevaluation ofclimaterisk isanecessarycomponentofanyadaptationoptionsappraisal.This category hasmany analogieswithCCAandDRR, addressing the assessment of and response to risks. • To inform discussions on fair burden-sharing and compensation arrangements for L&D.While discussions around compensation underlined debates on L&D particularly in their beginning, theyhave lost immediate relevance in theofficial discussionssincetheParisdecisionthatstatedthatL&Dwouldnotprovideabasis for compensationor liability. Inthischapterweconsiderhowclimatesciencecansupport thosethreegoalsand howuncertaintiesandlimitationsarisingfromtheanalysisoftheclimatehazardaffect L&Ddecision-making. Inparticular,wediscuss the role thatexistingapproaches to decisionmakingcouldplaywhenaddressingeachof thepolicygoals embedded in the climate changeL&Ddiscussion.Weconcludewith a commentary andoutlook for theon-goingdiscussionsaboutL&D.