Recent weeks have seen deadly floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and record-breaking heat across South Asia. Scientists warn that such events are becoming more frequent and more severe. Yet financial support to help countries cope is not keeping pace.
The report, Delivering on Adaptation, details the results of an analysis that reveals major differences in how countries in the Global North allocate climate finance:
- Some countries, including Ireland and Denmark, dedicate a significant share of their climate finance to adaptation
- Others, including Norway, Japan and Italy allocate only a limited share – despite growing global needs and UN agreements
This means that global adaptation finance is not only insufficient – it is also unevenly distributed. Although international commitments are made collectively by developed countries, not all are delivering.
“Some rich countries are effectively hiding behind those that are stepping up,” said Mattias Söderberg, Global Climate Lead at DanChurchAid.
“When commitments are not met, it weakens trust in all developed countries and widens the gap between the Global North and the Global South.”Mattias Söderberg, Global Climate Lead at DanChurchAid.
“This is happening even though countries in the Global North repeatedly promise to scale up finance to help vulnerable countries adapt, which makes the lack of action even worse”
Governments agreed at COP30 to triple adaptation finance by 2035. DanChurchAid warns that this goal will not be met without immediate changes in priorities.
“Closing the adaptation gap is not just about more money, it is about political choices,” said Mattias Söderberg.
“Countries that are lagging behind must step up.”
Recent climate impacts underscore the urgency of scaling up adaptation finance:
- Floods and landslides in Afghanistan have killed more than 100 people and affected thousands of families
- Torrential rains in Pakistan have caused fatalities and widespread damage
- Heatwaves in South Asia have pushed temperatures to dangerous levels
Developing countries are estimated to need hundreds of billions of dollars annually to adapt to climate change – far exceeding current levels of support.
About the report
The report, Delivering on Adaptation, maps global flows of international public adaptation finance based on publicly available data and identifies key trends in how finance is allocated.