There are climate-related disasters that people cannot cope with, even with the adaptation and disaster mitigation efforts that are already in place. The result of these impacts are collectively referred to as “loss and damage.”

Particularly in a highly vulnerable country like the Philippines, it is critical to understand the concept of L&D, because of the impetus and opportunity it provides us to improve our initiatives for addressing climate change impacts.

To both review and add to the existing body of knowledge on this subject, the Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research (APN) funded a project entitled “Assessing the linkages between climate change adaptation (CCA), disaster risk reduction (DRR), and Loss and Damage (L&D): Case studies in the low-lying coastal cities of Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.”

Now, through a newly released Loss and Damage Briefer, the Oscar M. Lopez Center seeks to share the knowledge gained from the years-long project. Written for local government units, CCA and DRR practitioners, and other stakeholders, it aims  to help them understand L&D concepts and mechanisms so as to better integrate them into existing policies and development plans. This includes a robust framework that can serve as a tool for planning, policy, and intervention. Essentially, the briefer stresses the need to adopt L&D information as an integral component in “building back better,” reducing vulnerability, and, ultimately, building resilience.

Download the briefer and learn more about the project here.