Philippine climate activists raised the concerns of disaster victims back home at the the 2022 United Nations Conference of the Parties (COP27) in Egypt on Monday, November 7.

“Today, we bring the voice of those who were killed by Tropical Storm Nalgae at the COP27 as we reiterate our call to institutionalize the ‘Loss and Damage’ mechanism,” said Franciscan priest Angel Cortez.

The issue of “Loss and Damage,” or the economic loss and damage due to climate-induced disasters, such as damage to crops, homes or infrastructure, is expected to be the center of talks in the climate summit that runs from November 6 to 18.

Non-economic loss and damage may also include harm to human health and mobility, loss of access to territory, of cultural heritage and of indigenous and local knowledge, and loss of and damage to biodiversity and habitats.

“In this climate conference, we will make sure that the cries of the victims of climate-induced disasters in the Philippines are heard,” said Father Cortez.

In 2013, the COP established the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage associated with Climate Change Impacts (Loss and Damage Mechanism).

It was established to address the loss and damage issues involving the impacts of climate change, targeting particularly developing countries that are most vulnerable.

The function of the Loss and Damage Mechanism is to focus on the promotion of the implementation of approaches related to loss and damage associated with climate change.

One of its aims is to “enhance function and support, including finance, technology, and capacity-building, to address loss and damage associated with the adverse effects of climate change, to enable countries to undertake actions.”

On November 8, Filipino climate activists are set to stage a prayer rally to pay tribute to the victims of Super Typhoon Haiyan that killed more than 6,000 people in November 2013.

“Nine years have passed and we still demand climate justice for those who died because of the strongest typhoon ever recorded in history,” said Rodne Galicha of Living Laudato Si Philippines.

“Here at the COP27, we need to ensure that those lives are not forgotten,” he added.