No confirmed definition does not stop work of the Loss and Damage Fund

The absence of a global definition for “loss and damage” will not stop the Fund for Loss and Damage (FRLD) from supporting vulnerable countries, says its programming and country engagement lead.

Speaking at the Pacific Loss and Damage Dialogue in Apia, Samoa, Jiheya Kim said the fund will allow countries to determine their own priorities.

“There is no established loss and damage definition, which does complicate our work in operationalising the fund,” Ms Kim said.

“But in the absence of one is where creativity, I think, can begin.”

She said the FRLD wants to hear directly from nations on what loss and damage means in their own contexts.

“We are looking to the countries to tell us what you think is loss and damage.

“What are the priorities and needs in your countries, in your context? And from that, we are going to learn and we are going to use that as a way, perhaps, for us to convene a more informed discussion about how we can start defining loss and damage as a topic.”

This flexibility, she said, could benefit countries facing unique challenges.

“If there were established definitions, then perhaps we would be forced to put ourselves in certain boxes or categories or shapes formed by the definitions. But in the absence of one is where creativity, I think, can begin.”

The FRLD will address both economic and non-economic loss and damage, using its start-up phase to learn from incoming proposals. A call for proposals is expected in the coming months.