Climate injustice: Africa sounds alarm, demands scaled-up Loss and Damage finance
By: Abudu Olalekan
Out of Africa comes a rising cry against unfair climate impacts. During late March 2026, voices gathered in Lilongwe – not just policymakers but people living through droughts, floods, storms. The meeting, hosted in Malawi, marked the fifth regional forum focused squarely on loss and damage. Instead of vague promises, attendees stressed urgency, pointing at worsening harm across farms, cities, coastlines. Though responsible for little emissions, the continent bears heavy consequences. Rising seas swallow homes while harvests shrink under relentless heat. With each passing season, recovery grows harder. These realities were laid bare by those who face them daily. Support so far has been too slow, too thin. Real help must match the scale of crisis now unfolding. Without change, survival itself becomes uncertain.
Out of that meeting came a straight signal – big polluters are stepping back, while money for climate fixes keeps falling short. What stands out most? The uneven weight. Least blame belongs to Africa in the emissions story; still, it faces the worst fallout. Heavy costs land there first.
Some delegates spoke about troubling figures. In four years, global funding for loss and damage hasn’t reached a single billion dollars. Compared to the hundreds of billions required annually – anywhere from 400 to 800 – it looks almost meaningless. What’s more alarming? Only one out of ten climate funds makes it to those facing crises first. A sliver – just over two percent – is directed toward young people. Those hit hardest often see barely anything.
It frustrated plenty that climate funds still come mostly as loans. Most speakers pointed out these debts pile up fast. When nations face both deep poverty and crushing payments, taking new loans after storms or droughts just widens the hole they’re in.
Not charity, they said, but repair owed through past actions. Tied to history, rooted in global legal norms. A 2025 court opinion gave weight – binding duties exist by custom. Inspiration came elsewhere too: a new UN vote calling slavery across the ocean what it was – a deep human wrong.
True, steps have moved forward – the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage now functions, along with the model laid out in Barbados. Still, those at the talks noted a gap between such mechanisms and the people enduring crisis zones. Closer ties to local decision makers matter, they stressed, if aid is to flow through leaner routes rooted in self-direction by affected areas. Reaching the furthest edge, where harm runs deepest, depends on shifting control closer to home.
Right now, Africa stands at a turning point – COP32 lands there. This moment could shift how rules are made worldwide, speakers said. Instead of waiting, the region might lead by demanding finance for harm caused by climate change. Such support fits within wider efforts to correct past wrongs. A unified voice would carry further, many insisted. Behind that idea is a call for the African Union to stitch together a shared system across nations. One piece involves launching an Africa-wide effort to collect data on losses tied to climate impacts. Better numbers can sharpen arguments in international talks. Proof like that strengthens national positions when negotiations heat up. Clear facts open doors otherwise left shut.
From the start, those involved insisted wealthy nations meet promises made in the Paris deal. Not just funding, but outright grants must grow quickly. To make help faster and fairer, changes in how money flows are now urgent. A new coalition will form, one pulling together voices from local levels across Africa. Cases showing harm caused by climate impacts – like lost traditions or cultural sites – are being collected too. These records aim to back legal efforts, track responsibility, later strengthen worldwide pressure.
One thing stands out in the Lilongwe communiqué: Africa is stating its needs plainly – no longer pleading, but speaking directly. This shift comes through clearly – not with force, yet firm. What’s said there carries weight without shouting. Clarity rises where silence once lived. A continent names what it requires, not framed as request but reality
