Policy Responses to Climate Impacts in Light of Fragility, Instability, and Climate Security Dynamics

The ‘double burden’ for countries that are highly vulnerable to and affected by climate change impacts while experiencing political instability, fragility, or conflict is hard to bear. Vulnerabilities compound and effective responses are constrained. At the same time, it is precisely these countries that receive disproportionately little and inadequate climate financing and are often overlooked when it comes to climate action.

Policy responses in fragile and conflict-affected settings need to be thoroughly tailored to the respective context. Policymakers thus face complex challenges, the finance gap being a central obstacle. Current climate finance flows remain biased towards stable contexts, leaving critical gaps when it comes to those who are most in need. 

The upcoming COP30 provides much needed opportunities for the international climate policy regime to lower the pressure on countries that are doubly affected. Closing the climate ambition gap for mitigation, adaptation, and L&D as well as climate finance is central to enable development towards increased resilience.