Paper short abstract:

‘Loss and Damage’ is a new concept in climate change research that refers to adverse effects of climate variability and change that people have not been able to cope with or adapt to. Five case studies about drought and flood impacts explore the limits of coping and adaptation in rural Africa.

Paper long abstract:

'Loss and Damage' is a new concept in climate change research that refers to adverse effects of climate variability and climate change that people have not been able to cope with or adapt to. This paper reports on the results of five case studies that assessed loss and damage from droughts and floods in rural Africa. Fieldwork for this research was conducted in The Gambia, Burkina Faso, Kenya, Ethiopia and Mozambique. The study used a mixed method apprroach including a questionnaire survey (N>1500), focus group discussions, expert consultations and in-depth interviews with rural people. The research shows that people incur loss and damage when (1) existing coping and adaptation measures not enough; (2) measures have costs that are not regained; (3) measures are beneficial in the short term, but erosive in the long term; and (4) when no measures are adopted or possible at all. These four loss and damage pathways often occur simultaneously. Pathway 1 and 3 were the most common in the African case studies. The climate and the conditions for agriculture in large parts of Africa are expected to deteriorate in the decades to come. This research shows that irrespective of whether these predictions materialize, the limits of coping and adaptation are already being felt by many rural Africans.