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The Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group comprising 44 countries has stressed that the developing and vulnerable nations require additional financial, technical and capacity enhancement support to tackle the climate change induced crises.

Adopting the Declaration by the meeting of Ministers and Heads of the Delegation of LDC Group on Climate Change concluded in Dili, the capital of Timor-Leste, emphasis was laid on providing adequate, predictable, accessible and grant-based support to countries affected by climate change.

Spokesperson at the Ministry of Agriculture, Forests and Environment, Dr Maheshwor Dhakal, who is in Dili, shared that the Declaration extended deepest sympathies and solidarity with the people of Nepal for the loss of several lives and severe damage to infrastructure due to the recent climate change induced glacier-rock avalanche and subsequent flood in the Himalayas.

"Stating that the LDCs were deeply alarmed by the escalating climate crisis and its devastating impacts on lives and livelihoods, human health, communities and hard-earned development gains, despite our countries' least contribution to its causes, the Declaration stressed on ambitious and equitable climate actions to protect vulnerable people and communities," he opined.

The Declaration mentioned that although the LDCs have contributed negligible for climate change, they are bearing its impacts, underlining the urgency of deep reduction in global emissions aligned with 1.5°C warming limit, building global resilience and greatly scaling up support with stronger commitment and international cooperation to address the worsening climate crisis in our vulnerable countries.

It also stressed on the urgent need to cut global emissions deeply this decade, accelerate the transition of energy systems, and substantially scale up adaptation finance and support for addressing loss and damage, to limit the duration and magnitude of bringing temperature back to well below 1.5°C, as rapidly as possible.

The LDCs Group called for urgent progress in the implementation and delivery of the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) on climate finance. They are also asking developed countries to take the lead in reaching the goal by 2035, aiming for raising 300 billion US dollar per year and to move toward mobilizing climate finance to at least 1.3 trillion US dollar per year.

Likewise, a call was made to scale up their collective provision of adaptation finance to accelerate the delivery of the goal of tripling adaptation finance, aiming to reach an amount of at least USD 120 billion well in advance of 2035.

The developed countries have been requested for contributions to the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage (FRLD), the Least Developed Countries Fund (LDCF), the Green Climate Fund (GCF), the Adaptation Fund and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), recognizing the persistent gap between climate finance provided and mobilised and the resources required meeting the needs of our countries.

Sharing that demand has far surpassed the resources available in the FRLD, the Declaration stressed that COP-31 must provide clear guidance for the mobilization of the additional resources.

A call has also been made to hold central ministerial-level dialogue on the issue, stating the risk of migration, displacement and planned relocation is increasing due to climate change.

The Declaration has demanded priority to technology transfer and capacity-building along with financial support for adaptation and resilience development.

The LDCs Group stated that adequate finance, technology development and transfer, and capacity-building are needed to strengthen resilient food and agricultural systems.

Similarly, the Group stressed on increasing access of women, particularly grassroots women and those in vulnerable communities and participation, to climate decision-making, finance, technologies and resilient livelihoods, mainstreaming the gender-responsive approaches to climate action.

The Group emphasized that the upcoming COP-31 must deliver equitable, ambitious, inclusive and implementation-oriented outcomes that address the priorities, geographical realities, needs and special circumstances of LDCs.

It also drew a conclusion that the climate crisis should be addressed as the broader challenges directly linked with human life, health, food security, livelihood, economy and development, not just an environmental problem.