At What Cost?

How chronic gaps in adaptation finance expose the world's poorest people to climate chaos

A man riding his boat in coastal neighborhood in Pulau Pasaran Bandar Lampung, Indonesia.
28 July 2020 • UPDATED 06 April 2022

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In 2009, wealthy countries committed to mobilise $100 billion in annual climate finance to assist low-income countries to address climate change by 2020. To mark the deadline of this commitment, this report from Zurich Flood Resilience Alliance partners Concern Worldwide and Mercy Corps assesses the last decade of global official development assistance (ODA) invested in building people’s resilience to climate change.

We ask two questions:

  • Is the international community meeting the commitments it has made?
  • Is funding for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction going to those people and countries that need it most?

The findings are shocking and yet unsurprising; there is insufficient investment in preparing for the impacts of climate change and money is not going to the countries and people that need it most.