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Science for Loss and Damage. Findings and Propositions

The debate on "Loss and Damage" (L&D) has gained traction over the
last few years. Supported by growing scientific evidence of anthropogenic climate
change amplifying frequency, intensity and duration of climate-related hazards as
well as observed increases in climate-related impacts and risks in many regions, the "Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage" was established in 2013
and further supported through the Paris Agreement in 2015. Despite advances, the debate currently is broad, diffuse and somewhat confusing, while concepts, meth
ods and tools, as well as directions for policy remain vague and often contested.
This book, a joint effort of the Loss and Damage Network - a partnership effort by
scientists and practitioners from around the globe - provides evidence-based insight
into the L&D discourse by highlighting state-of-the-art research conducted across
multiple disciplines, by showcasing applications in practice and by providing insight
into policy contexts and salient policy options. This introductory chapter summarises
key findings of the twenty-two book chapters in terms of five propositions. These
propositions, each building on relevant findings linked to forward-looking sugges
tions for research, policy and practice, reflect the architecture of the book, whose
sections proceed from setting the stage to critical issues, followed by a section on
methods and tools, to chapters that provide geographic perspectives, and finally to a
section that identifies potential policy options. The propositions comprise (1) Risk
management can be an effective entry point for aligning perspectives and debates,
if framed comprehensively, coupled with climate justice considerations and linked
to established risk management and adaptation practice; (2) Attribution science is
advancing rapidly and fundamental to informing actions to minimise, avert, and
address losses and damages; (3) Climate change research, in addition to identifying
physical/hard limits to adaptation, needs to more systematically examine soft limits
to adaptation, for which we find some evidence across several geographies globally;
(4) Climate risk insurance mechanisms can serve the prevention and cure aspects
emphasised in the L&D debate but solidarity and accountability aspects need further
attention, for which we find tentative indication in applications around the world; (5)
Policy deliberations may need to overcome the perception that L&D constitutes a
win-lose negotiation "game" by developing a more inclusive narrative that highlights
collective ambition for tackling risks, mutual benefits and the role of Transformation.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:VIENNA/oai:epub.wu-wien.ac.at:6697
Date January 2018
CreatorsMechler, Reinhard, Calliari, Elisa, Bouwer, Laurens M., Schinko, Thomas, Surminski, Swenja, Linnerooth-Bayer, JoAnne, Aerts, Jeroen, Botzen, Wouter, Boyd, Emily, Deckard, Natalie Delia, Fuglestvedt, Jan S., González-Eguino, Mikel, Haasnoot, Marjolijn, Handmer, John, Haque, Masroora, Heslin, Alison, Hochrainer-Stigler, Stefan, Huggel, Christian, Huq, Saleemul, James, Rachel, Jones, Richard G., Juhola, Sirkku, Keating, Adriana, Kienberger, Stefan, Kreft, Sönke, Kuik, Onno, Landauer, Mia, Laurien, Finn, Lawrence, Judy, Lopez, Ana, Liu, Wei, Magnuszewski, Piotr, Markandya, Anil, Mayer, Benoit, McCallum, Ian, McQuistan, Colin, Meyer, Lukas, Mintz-Woo, Kian, Montero-Colbert, Arianna, Mysiak, Jaroslav, Nalau, Johanna, Noy, Ilan, Oakes, Robert, Otto, Friederike E. L., Pervin, Mousumi, Roberts, Erin, Schäfer, Laura, Scussolini, Paolo, Serdeczny, Olivia, de Sherbinin, Alex, Simlinger, Florentina, Sitati, Asha, Sultana, Saibeen, Young, Hannah R., van der Geest, Kees, van den Homberg, Marc, Wallimann-Helmer, Ivo, Warner, Koko, Zommers, Zinta
PublisherSpringer
Source SetsWirtschaftsuniversität Wien
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeBook Section, PeerReviewed
Formatapplication/pdf
RightsCreative Commons: Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Relationhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72026-5_1, https://www.springernature.com/gp, https://rd.springer.com/bookseries/15515, http://epub.wu.ac.at/6697/

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