SA to push for triple adaptation finance by 2035 at COP31

Adaptation finance pays for measures that help countries withstand climate impacts, such as floods, droughts and storms. Tripling it means setting a 2035 benchmark at three times the agreed starting level. The article does not specify the starting amount, so it does not give a final dollar figure. The target matters because developing countries face a widening gap between adaptation needs and available funding.

South Africa wants the benchmark paired with monitoring. That would let countries compare actual funding with the agreed pathway toward 2035. It would also make progress easier to discuss in climate negotiations. Adaptation finance is especially important for countries facing serious impacts but contributing relatively little to global emissions.

The proposal will be advanced at COP31 in Antalya, Türkiye, from 9 to 20 November. South Africa is also seeking finance that is adequate, predictable and accessible. The benchmark would provide a clearer political goal, while monitoring would show whether financial promises are being delivered.

The Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage supports developing countries and communities affected by climate-related disasters. Its available money is far below the amount represented by current requests. This matters because the fund is intended to help respond after climate impacts cause damage to lives, livelihoods, infrastructure and ecosystems.

The fund has received more than 170 proposals from developing countries. Together, those proposals represent estimated needs of more than $1.4 billion, while the fund has about $450 million available. The difference between those figures is at least about $950 million, although the article presents both amounts as approximate or exceeding the stated levels.

South Africa is calling for more funding for loss and damage at COP31. It has also submitted a $20 million proposal to restore Kruger National Park and associated conservation landscapes after the January 2026 floods. The funding shortfall shows why developing countries are seeking larger and more reliable international support.

Adaptation and resilience are priorities because climate impacts can be severe even where historical emissions are low. South Africa’s minister highlighted Africa’s relatively small contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions. The continent nevertheless needs resources to prepare for, withstand and recover from climate-related harm.

South Africa has experienced severe storms, flooding and drought. These events affect agriculture, infrastructure, water resources, transport, tourism and livelihoods. Adaptation therefore covers more than emergency response. It involves strengthening systems and communities so they can cope with repeated or worsening disruption.

This imbalance shapes South Africa’s negotiating position. The country wants adaptation finance to triple by 2035, with monitoring of progress. It also seeks more support for loss and damage. Its position is guided by science, equity, sustainable development, and common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities.

Adaptation funding helps communities and countries reduce harm from climate impacts. When it is too small or difficult to access, governments have fewer resources to strengthen infrastructure, protect water supplies, support agriculture and prepare for extreme weather. The article links South Africa’s climate impacts to livelihoods, transport, tourism and other parts of the economy.

The funding gap is visible in the loss-and-damage fund. More than 170 proposals from developing countries represent needs above $1.4 billion, but only about $450 million is available. South Africa’s $20 million request to restore Kruger National Park and nearby conservation landscapes followed January 2026 floods. These figures show how disasters can create needs beyond current finance.

Insufficient support can also slow recovery and leave ecosystems and local economies exposed to future events. South Africa therefore wants finance that is adequate, predictable and accessible. It is pressing for more adaptation funding, replenishments for major climate funds and increased contributions to the Adaptation Fund.

Adaptation is difficult to judge without agreed measures. A global benchmark would give countries a common reference for judging whether adaptation finance and resilience efforts are advancing. Indicators would turn broad goals into observable signs of progress, helping negotiators identify where action is working and where support is still missing.

The Belém–Addis Vision on Adaptation is a UN climate-negotiation process established at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in 2025. It is intended to help countries implement global adaptation goals and measure progress. Maesela Kekana said clearer indicators were needed to assess progress in building resilience.

The approach could make adaptation more accountable and comparable across countries, while recognising that resilience involves many areas. The article does not specify the final indicators. South Africa supports advancing the vision and wants adaptation finance to include a monitoring process, linking money provided with progress toward the 2035 benchmark.

South Africa wants international climate finance that developing countries can access reliably and predictably. It will use COP31 negotiations to seek replenishments for the Green Climate Fund and Global Environment Facility. It will also seek increased contributions to the Adaptation Fund. These institutions are part of its wider effort to close the adaptation finance gap.

The country will separately press for more money for the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage. That fund has about $450 million available against proposals representing more than $1.4 billion in estimated needs. South Africa also supports operationalising a Just Transition Mechanism to strengthen international cooperation and mobilise implementation support.

On mitigation, South Africa supports continuing the Sharm el-Sheikh Mitigation Ambition and Implementation Work Programme beyond 2026. It argues that developing countries should not face new targets outside the Paris Agreement’s nationally determined framework. These positions will be presented at COP31 in Antalya.

Adaptation means building resilience to climate impacts that communities are already experiencing or expect to face. It can involve protecting livelihoods, infrastructure, water resources and ecosystems from storms, flooding and drought. Mitigation means reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming. The two responses address different parts of the climate challenge.

The article gives a clear mitigation example through Nationally Determined Contributions, or NDCs. When countries’ NDCs are aggregated, current policies point toward about 2.8°C of warming by the end of the century. South Africa supports continuing the Sharm el-Sheikh mitigation work programme beyond 2026, while keeping targets within the Paris framework.

Adaptation has no equally simple global reading yet, according to chief negotiator Maesela Kekana. He said countries need clearer indicators to show how far resilience has advanced. South Africa is therefore seeking both stronger emissions action and more adaptation finance, with a monitoring process for the 2035 funding benchmark.