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A suite of recent scientific reports, notably from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), make alarmingly clear assessments of observed and potential climate change impacts. The 2018 Special Report on the Impacts of Global Warming of 1.5 °C shows a stark difference between global warming of 1.5 °C versus 2 °C. This year’s Special Report on Climate Change and Land provides an assessment of loss of productive land due to desertification and extreme soil erosion, disrupted food chains and threatened livelihoods. The most recent Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate sheds light on the consequences of large losses from ice sheets and glaciers, shrinking snow cover and Arctic sea ice, rising permafrost temperature, and their effects on human communities. Additionally, the current report of the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) discusses the cascading effects of rapid deterioration of nature and biodiversity. What these reports converge on is the need for urgent action to build resilience – not only against rapid onset extremes but also gradual effects of a changing climate.

Even if global warming is kept to 1.5 °C, risks of loss and damage from slow onset processes remain. Associated economic and non-economic impacts on poverty, health and human security have long-term implications for sustainable development. Moreover, social, economic and political factors, e.g. the use and management of land and water resources, are an integral part of the risk equation. Already, marine, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems bear the brunt of the cumulative effects of overexploitation and pollution. These effects exacerbate the risks of loss and damage from slow onset processes.

An integrated, coherent, coordinated and long-term approach to climate risk management is needed in order to face the complexity of risks and multiplicity of response options to slow onset events. This is also reflected in Article 8 of the Paris Agreement, which calls for “the role of sustainable development in reducing the risk of loss and damage”. Actions to mitigate loss and damage should be consistent with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and also with further processes and institutions that shape climate and development policy today.

With next week’s meeting of its Executive Committee and the upcoming review at COP25 in Chile, the WIM is entering a critical juncture. A debate around a strengthened governance mechanism with substantive linkages between loss and damage policy and the wider development architecture of the United Nations will be critical to enable national level action in response to slow onset climate risks. The imminent WIM review presents a timely opportunity – it should not be missed.