Zambia to Host First Ever UN Loss and Damage Board Meeting

Today saw the opening of the 29th Conference of Parties (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan. The annual UN climate summit kicked off with countries readying for tough talks on finance and trade under a backdrop of heightened finance commitments.

Zambia is set to host the first-ever board meeting of the “Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage” under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. 

This milestone was announced during a bilateral meeting at the summit between Green Economy and Environment Minister Mike Mposha and Executive Director of the Loss and Damage Fund Ibrahim Cheikh Diong.

Additionally, Mposha is optimistic that Zambia will achieve its climate adaptation ambitions, which are of greater concern now, given the impact of a historic drought.  

Speaking at the bilateral meeting, Mposha said, “In our quest to look for solutions to push back the effects of climate change, we are mobilising the resources that are required to push forward interventions which we’re bringing forward as a country. For example, renewable sources of energy, building energy resilience, infrastructure for water harvesting, enhancing irrigation

Loss and Damage Fund Director Dr Ibrahim Cheikh Diong said, ‘The minister and I talked about the needs of Zambia. The fund is supposed to be operational as soon as possible, it was important for me to listen and understand how best we can support the fund, but I also want to renew the commitment to the fund as soon as possible so we can start supporting the countries and be relevant to the effort.’

Dr Diong added that Zambia’s hosting of the first-ever Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage board meeting is an ‘Opportunity to showcase what Zambia has to offer.’