At COP30 in Belém: Renewed Call for Action on Loss and Damage
I am here in Belém, Brazil, for COP30. This place - the Amazon - is not only beautiful; it is a symbol. The Amazon tells us: climate is nature and climate is people. Being here is both a privilege and responsibility.
Loss and damage is happening now
For many communities I represent, loss and damage is not a future problem. It is now. Floods destroy crops. Coasts disappear to the sea. Slow changes remove livelihoods day by day. These facts are real. They are daily. They are urgent.
We do not ask for pity. We ask for justice. Countries with the smallest emissions pay the heaviest price. This is not fair. It must be corrected.
What COP30 must do - simple points
At this COP, we need the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage to become real and working. I list clear needs:
1. Operational rules. Very simple and transparent criteria. Easy access steps. Clear accountabilities. Avoid long bureaucracy that stops people getting help.
2. Enough finance. Money must be predictable and adequate. Grants and very soft finance. Not loans that create more debt. Support for sudden disasters and slow processes (sea-level rise, desertification, glacier loss).
3. Fast disbursement. Mechanisms for quick emergency response and longer recovery. Speed matters.
4. Accountability and results. Publish workplans, timelines, and progress reports. Use measurable indicators. Show results.
5. Local inclusion. Design programs with women, youth, Indigenous peoples, and local leaders. Local knowledge must be part of the solution.
6. Complementary help. Combine finance with technical help, capacity building, and support for displacement and cultural loss.
Practical directions - how we push
Negotiators from the Global South must be united and strategic. We must demand:
· A fair governance architecture with space for all voices.
· Different access windows: one for urgent relief, one for long recovery, one for non-economic loss.
· A clear replenishment plan with immediate and medium-term sources.
· Debt safeguards for vulnerable countries.
· Monitoring that is peer-reviewed but respectful of national sovereignty.
Belém - moral and political moment
Amazon teaches that some things cannot be replaced. Some harms cannot be undone. But dignity can be restored. Livelihoods can be rebuilt. With finance, planning, and solidarity we can buy time for adaptation.
From words to action - final expectation
My expectation for COP30 is direct: operational rules and firm commitments that make the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage working. Clear timelines. Clear access. Real support for people who lost. If COP30 does this, we move from promises to people. If COP30 fails, we fail those who suffer most for emissions they did not create.
Climate negotiation is about people, not only text. Let Belém be the place the world turns words into action.
