A window into what we are reading at the Wilson Center’s Environmental Change and Security Program

How One Loss and Damage Fund Bore Fruit (The Guardian)  

The Loss and Damage Fund established during the UN COP27 was a monumental breakthrough in the climate finance realm and aimed to provide financial assistance to vulnerable nations impacted by climate change. Such damage can be catastrophic. When Cyclone Freddy hit Malawi in 2023, it killed 1,200 people and displaced 659,000 more. The estimated economic loss exceeded $1 billion, and it landed especially hard on farmers—including the women who make up more than 70% of Malawi’s agricultural workforce. 

During COP28, the Scottish government launched a loss and damage fund (facilitated by the US nonprofit GiveDirectly) to provide humanitarian aid in cash to affected households. Households in Malawi received unconditional cash transfers of $750 for over three months from it, and used the funds for reconstruction and resilience to future climate calamities.  

Meanwhile, Malawi’s government is trying to solve the root causes of the problem. Officials are exploring relocation strategies for climate-exposed communities, rather than merely responding to annual emergencies. Scotland’s fund is part of a larger recognition that member states most affected by climate change contribute the least to it. Thus, the positive outcomes in Malawi underscore the importance of such funds and improved climate finance tools. 

LISTEN | The Arc | Dr. Mizan Khan on Loss and Damage and Bangladesh’s Role as a Climate Adaptation Leader 

Serbia Struggles with Lithium Developments (AP News)  

Serbia holds 118 million tons of lithium ore, one of the largest deposits in Europe. It could produce 58,000 tons of lithium annually, allowing the production of around 1.1 million electric vehicles. Yet the costs of this resource are drawing attention, The country has signed a deal with the EU to create a lithium excavation project in the Jadar Valley, adversely affecting local environmental conditions and livelihoods. Thousands of people protested against the EU deal across towns in Serbia, including Saba, Kraljevo, Arandjelovac, Ljig, and Barajevo. 

This is not the first time Serbia has experienced critical mining-related backlash. The country’s Constitutional court in overturned the government’s halt of a $2.4 billion mining project launched by the British-Australian mining company, Rio Tinto, in the Jadar Valley. The government stopped the project in light of similar protests in 2021, which proved to be a huge challenge for Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. 

The new deal demonstrates the EU’s increasing focus on diversifying its energy supply chains within the context of the Russo-Ukraine war. The partnership may also push the EU closer to the Balkan country that retains significant geopolitical ties with Russia and China. This development could be pivotal for EU-Central Asia cooperation on their paths to Net Zero, however, adhering to community needs will prove crucial for sustaining these partnerships.  

READ | Bolivia and Lithium: Can slow and steady win the race? 

The Conflict-Climate Dimensions of COP16  (The Guardian) 

The UN Biodiversity Conference (COP16) is set to take place in Cali, Colombia this coming October. After Turkey withdrew as a host, citing earthquake recovery efforts, emerging climate leader, Colombia, took the mantle to host conservation experts and delegates. This South American country has been effectively implementing efforts to reduce deforestation and it has also joined an alliance for the fossil fuel nonproliferation treaty proposed during the COP28. meeting. 

Colombia’s climate action, however, is plagued with difficulties created by an almost 60-year-old conflict with armed groups in the majority of its Amazon regions. Security concerns emerged after the Central General Staff (EMC), a guerrilla faction, issued ominous warnings to the Colombian government and threatened the convening of COP16. The EMC exercises extralegal governance in areas it controls, builds bridges, and provides basic amenities to gather support from the locals.  

Earlier this year, in light of increasing violence, the government ended its historic ceasefire with the guerrilla factions in a few regions of the country. This decision fractured the government and led to an internal division. The EMC has now released new statements that “as a gesture of peace,” it will not interfere with the biodiversity conference. Nevertheless, the government is set to deploy around 12,000 soldiers to ensure the safety of the delegates and the participants.    

LISTEN | It’s Time for the World to Treat Wildlife Crime as Serious and Organized Crime