Loss and Damage at COP23

With the incoming Fijian UNFCCC COP-Presidency, a growing awareness is raised for the impacts of climate change and especially climate-induced loss and damage. Fiji as a Small Island Developing State (SIDS) shares its specific situation and characteristics that determine its affectedness with a number of other SIDS. The paper explains the concept of loss and damage and its emergence within the climate regime. It further takes stock of the most pressing climate related impacts for SIDS, such as sea level rise, tropical storms and ocean accidification and looks at options to deal with them under UNFCCC. It concludes with expectations for COP23 and policy recommendations how to further strenghten the issue of loss and damage within and outside the UN climate regime.