Scottish Government partners with UNDRR to strengthen action on climate-related losses and damages

ANTALYA, 11 November 2026 - The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) welcomes a £500,000 contribution from the Scottish Government to strengthen the capacity of climate-vulnerable countries to understand, measure and address the often-overlooked non-economic losses and damages caused by climate change.

The new partnership will support countries highly exposed to climate hazards, including Uganda, Kiribati, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, to better capture and respond to non-economic impacts of climate change, which can include impacts on human health, culture, heritage, biodiversity, ecosystems, displacement, and community well-being.

Work under the partnership will strengthen global and national data systems, improve risk governance and policy coherence, and develop practical tools and guidance to ensure that non-economic losses and damages are reflected in climate, disaster risk reduction and development planning. 

“I commend the Scottish Government for its leadership and vision in tackling the climate emergency. Through this partnership, we will help the most vulnerable countries better understand and reduce the non-economic losses caused by climate change and disasters, many of which remain hidden and underappreciated,” said Kamal Kishore, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Head of UNDRR.

The contribution forms part of a broader £2 million Scottish Government package announced at COP31 UN Climate Summit in Türkiye to support Global South leadership on loss and damage. 

Scotland's funding will help vulnerable countries access knowledge, tools and capacity needed to address the full spectrum of climate-related losses and damages while ensuring that the voices of women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and other at-risk groups are reflected in decision-making.

Climate Action Secretary Gillian Martin said: "The Scottish Government is very pleased to be expanding our Climate Justice contribution by giving the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction a new £500,000 grant to help Uganda, Kiribati and Saint Kitts and Nevis track disasters and the harm they cause. This will help them respond more effectively, with a particular focus on women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and others most at risk."

This partnership is a continuation of Scotland’s long track record of supporting the countries that have done the least to cause the climate crisis but are being hit hardest by its effects.  Scotland was the first government to commit funding explicitly for loss and damage, and since COP26 in Glasgow has provided over £10 million to support some of the most vulnerable communities.

As the climate crisis intensifies, so are the human and economic costs of disasters, the majority of which are climate-related. This makes investing in disaster risk reduction and integrating it into climate action and development critical to averting and reducing losses and damages. 

As countries and stakeholders gather in Antalya for COP31, UNDRR is calling on parties to turn ambition into action and advance common goals under the Paris Climate Agreement, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.