Are communities ready for the Fund for responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD)?

The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD) will be finalised at COP29 and must be ready to disburse finance quickly. The FRLD Board is tasked with creating access pathways, including small grants for communities, Indigenous Peoples and vulnerable groups to aid climate recovery. This brief outlines frontline communities' capacity needs, gaps and barriers, with recommendations on improving access to finance. The recommendations are based on interviews and a focus group with participants from the Global South.

Key messages

• Developing countries should invest in building frontline communities' financial planning and project management skills to address loss and damage from extreme and slow-onset climate events, with the Santiago Network on Loss and Damage (SNLD) playing a key role.

• The FRLD Board should introduce the Fund to frontline communities, clarifying eligibility, funded activities, and timelines for finance access.

• The FRLD should support developing countries in strengthening community capacities to access finance directly and create effective loss and damage projects.

• The FRLD Board must establish consultative forums to engage with frontline communities experiencing climate impacts.

• The Board should allow frontline representatives to attend FRLD meetings to share their needs and priorities.