African Leaders Should Prioritize Addressing Non-Economic Loss And Damage
The Mt Kenya Times 
By: Ireen Twongirwe
Worth Noting:
- While in Addis during the Africa Union Summit, the minister for Agriculture Hon Tumwebaze emphases on the importance of fulfilling commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, including the reduction of emissions and collaborative efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, as a Ugandan I wonder whether we are doing what the Paris agreement requires with the increased level of deforestation and extraction of fossil fuels in our country.
- Noteworthy, there is limited or no integration in national policies while addressing NELD. Measures nor policies and considerations are not consistently integrated into national climate change policies, development plans, and disaster risk reduction strategies and this has forced marginalized communities into depression.
Last week, African leaders just finished Africa union Summit that happened in Addis Abba Ethiopia. The summit was to discuss the implementation of the Nairobi Declaration and the outcomes of the UNFCCC COP 28 on climate finance and green growth in Africa.
Its important note that African countries are prone to climate change catastrophes such as flooding, cyclones, raise in temperature levels, drought , increase in sea levels among others. This is due to the extraction of fossil fuels, human activities such as poor methods of farming, deforestation, poor waste management among others.
Its clear that most of these activities are caused by communities and others are from developed countries are greed for our resources such as Oil, gas, gold among others. Furthermore, these activities increase the climate change impacts leading to economic Loss and Damage (ELD) and Non-economic Loss and damage (NELD). The difference between the two is that ELD can be quantified and easily compensated while NELD can’t be quantified, and there are invisible. Such include, loss of lives, indigenous knowledge, culture and psychological torture among others.
Furthermore, the NELD most of the times are not prioritized and addressed, most efforts are put in addressing ELD and yet it affects communities greatly.
While in Addis during the Africa Union Summit, the minister for Agriculture Hon Tumwebaze emphases on the importance of fulfilling commitments outlined in the Paris Agreement, including the reduction of emissions and collaborative efforts to adapt to the impacts of climate change. However, as a Ugandan I wonder whether we are doing what the Paris agreement requires with the increased level of deforestation and extraction of fossil fuels in our country.
Noteworthy, there is limited or no integration in national policies while addressing NELD. Measures nor policies and considerations are not consistently integrated into national climate change policies, development plans, and disaster risk reduction strategies and this has forced marginalized communities into depression.
Further, Lack of adaptation and resilience strategies while considering the inequitable distribution of impacts and resources: While there may be efforts to address economic losses, the incorporation of non-economic aspects may be inadequate. Policies should ensure equity and justice in the allocation of resources and support.
As African countries there is need for us to put in place measures and policies on how we can address the Non-Economic Loss and Damage that leave marginalized communities especially women living in trauma, depression, stress and poor standards of living. We need to mobilize a pool of resources to tackle the wellbeing of the marginalized countries that are greatly impacted by climate change impacts.
In a nutshell, there is need to establish the NELD Framework to be approved by the members of the Warsaw International Mechanism Committee and by the UNFCCC. More so, establishing Prevention and Preparedness Framework for Loss and Damage will help to show an urgent need to address NELD.
Additionally, evaluating current plans to address loss and damage, recognizing that evaluation is the stage at which the significance of non-economic losses is defined. Adaptation options can be assessed in relation to their impacts on non-economic losses.
Lastly, Supporting and empowering local leaders by enabling them to take charge and executing initiatives that revolve around the needs and aspirations of their community members will help in implementing work plans and objectives that are driven by local input so as to create an environment where resilience thrives at the grassroots level.
For God and my country
Ireen Twongirwe
Executive Director
Women for Green Economy Movement Uganda.
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Passaris joins walk for dignity: Nairobi representative backs campaign for incontinence support
- Diaspora Times Global Sep 19 – Sep 25, 2026
- Tibet’s glacial catastrophe: Behind Beijing’s wall of silence, a climate disaster reshapes a region
- Museveni says Uganda overpaid for fuel through Kenyan middlemen as new terminal breaks ground
- Court orders throw KPL season kickoff into doubt
About the Author
