Ahead of COP 28 (the 2023 United Nations Climate Change Conference), we have a critical opportunity to assess what’s going well and what needs to change in climate financing if we are to address the impact now and for generations to come.

Climate change is one of the most pressing challenges facing our planet. Given the rapid increase in the severity of climate-related crises, the often devastating impact in communities all over the world and the long-lasting effects before this impact can be reversed, it is also one of the most pressing challenges facing children.

Private funders and governments are paying attention, committing billions of dollars to initiatives intended to address climate change. Climate funds are being set up with energy and ambition to accelerate investments in the pursuit of change.

Still, we have a major gap in funding. Currently, over 90% of total climate financing is dedicated to mitigation activities, aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions or removing them from the atmosphere to limit the extent of climate change. The importance of pursuing mitigation activities is undeniable, but it misses an urgent priority that continues to be overlooked by most funders.

Climate-induced stressors are the beginning of a much broader cycle. With no reliable livelihoods, parents may be unable to feed their children. In turn, children may stop going to school or engage in higher-risk income-generating activities; women, often girls, may need to walk longer hours in search of water leaving them susceptible to sexual exploitation.

The cycle can feel overwhelming, but we are not powerless. As a global community, we can address these issues through adaptation measures tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of local communities and ecosystems.

Across the sector, there are good examples of success. These include providing training for farmers on new agricultural techniques to cope with changing weather patterns, implementing anticipatory action mechanisms to predict climate-induced crises and taking preventive action to reduce their potential impact, and helping communities roll out small changes to their infrastructure with immediate and long-term results.

Read the full article about climate adaptation by Luciana Bonifacio at Forbes.