Loss and damage occur when climate impacts surpass adaptation and mitigation capacities, resulting in irreversible or long-lasting effects on communities, economies, and ecosystems. With global warming accelerating and climate action not keeping pace, exposed and vulnerable countries and human settlements will suffer increasingly severe losses and damages. Asia and the Pacific is one of the most impacted regions, hosting six of the ten countries most affected by extreme weather events, and accounting for 78 percent of global disaster displacements. The region’s cities, especially informal settlements, are particularly at risk, as these areas already contend with complex, layered vulnerabilities that heighten their susceptibility to climate impacts. This makes it essential to build knowledge and take proactive steps to address urban loss and damage.

The Urban Loss and Damage Action Programme in the Asia-Pacific Region will work at the regional, national and local levels to make countries and human settlements better equipped to understand, access finance for, and practically address urban loss and damage, with a focus on informal settlements and vulnerable groups.