Uploaded March 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
“Loss and damage” in the context of climate change, refers to the consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to, or when options exist but a community doesn’t have the resources to access or utilize them. This could include the loss of coastal heritage sites due to rising sea levels, or the loss of homes and lives during extreme floods. Loss and damage can result from extreme weather events like cyclones, droughts, and heatwaves, as well as slow-onset changes such as sea level rise, desertification, glacial retreat, land degradation, ocean acidification, and salinization. In some cases, damages may permanently alter places; for example, rising seas encroaching on low-lying islands, or drought shrinking freshwater resources and turning once-productive farmland into barren land. The subject of loss and damage is a matter of climate justice, as it will continue to harm vulnerable communities the most. While developed countries agreed at the COP27 UN climate summit in 2022 to create a fund for addressing losses and damages in particularly vulnerable nations, many questions remain around how it will work and how much money wealthy nations will provide. In 2022, Pakistan was hit with some of the most devastating floods that incurred losses and damages affecting 33 million people across the country including loss of life, homes, inundation of land and destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity. Similarly in 2023, the storms that hit Libya amounted to immense flooding and destruction across the country. With climate change, these extreme weather events will only worsen, and dealing with these losses and damages globally becomes a matter of existential concern.
About our speakers:
Kashmala Kakakhel has over 17 years of experience with governments and development partners across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Her core competence lies in international policy on climate finance, with particular emphasis on loss and damage, ensuring alignment to needs and requirements of developing countries. She also specializes in developing bankable projects for accessing international funding. Kashmala has supported the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan in developing key operational modalities on green growth and governance. She has been a pivotal player in Pakistan after the floods in 2022 that devastated much of the country, has helped put loss and damage on the map in the international climate space, and has been vocal about the impacts of loss and damage to Pakistan through climate change.
Kashmala is a member of the Women in Energy Pakistan, writes opinion pieces for national and international new agencies, is a resource person on climate finance and performance management at the National School of Public Policy in Pakistan, and is also a TEDx speaker.
Harjeet Singh is an activist advocating for climate and social justice globally. His work has involved assisting countries in responding to disasters, climate impacts, migration, and in bolstering adaptation and resilience programs. He is the Global Engagement Director at the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. Previously, he served as the Head of Global Political Strategy at Climate Action Network International and led ActionAid's climate justice work globally. Harjeet has been a board member of both CAN International and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction. Currently, he is also a member of the United Nations' Technical Expert Group on Comprehensive Risk Management, under the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. Harjeet co-founded Satat Sampada, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainable environmental practices, such as organic food and farming, in India and beyond. He has authored and overseen numerous publications in the field of climate justice and disaster resilience.
Sustainable Solutions Series Overview
The Sustainable Solutions Speaker Series is presented by the Environmental Sciences and Policy and the Energy Policy and Climate programs at Johns Hopkins University. Each talk features scholars and practitioners working to tackle ‘wicked’ environmental, energy, and climate problems. Speakers take us through how they leverage technology, policy, the private sector, markets, research, and field work to form innovative and lasting solutions. From water insecurity to climate adaptation, natural resource conflict to energy transitions, and food insecurity to sustainable agriculture, this series features the depth and breadth of Johns Hopkins University faculty and our greater community toward a sustainable future.
“Loss and damage” in the context of climate change, refers to the consequences of climate change that go beyond what people can adapt to, or when options exist but a community doesn’t have the resources to access or utilize them. This could include the loss of coastal heritage sites due to rising sea levels, or the loss of homes and lives during extreme floods. Loss and damage can result from extreme weather events like cyclones, droughts, and heatwaves, as well as slow-onset changes such as sea level rise, desertification, glacial retreat, land degradation, ocean acidification, and salinization. In some cases, damages may permanently alter places; for example, rising seas encroaching on low-lying islands, or drought shrinking freshwater resources and turning once-productive farmland into barren land. The subject of loss and damage is a matter of climate justice, as it will continue to harm vulnerable communities the most. While developed countries agreed at the COP27 UN climate summit in 2022 to create a fund for addressing losses and damages in particularly vulnerable nations, many questions remain around how it will work and how much money wealthy nations will provide. In 2022, Pakistan was hit with some of the most devastating floods that incurred losses and damages affecting 33 million people across the country including loss of life, homes, inundation of land and destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity. Similarly in 2023, the storms that hit Libya amounted to immense flooding and destruction across the country. With climate change, these extreme weather events will only worsen, and dealing with these losses and damages globally becomes a matter of existential concern.
About our speakers:
Kashmala Kakakhel has over 17 years of experience with governments and development partners across Asia, Africa and Latin America. Her core competence lies in international policy on climate finance, with particular emphasis on loss and damage, ensuring alignment to needs and requirements of developing countries. She also specializes in developing bankable projects for accessing international funding. Kashmala has supported the Prime Minister’s Office of Pakistan in developing key operational modalities on green growth and governance. She has been a pivotal player in Pakistan after the floods in 2022 that devastated much of the country, has helped put loss and damage on the map in the international climate space, and has been vocal about the impacts of loss and damage to Pakistan through climate change.
Kashmala is a member of the Women in Energy Pakistan, writes opinion pieces for national and international new agencies, is a resource person on climate finance and performance management at the National School of Public Policy in Pakistan, and is also a TEDx speaker.
Harjeet Singh is an activist advocating for climate and social justice globally. His work has involved assisting countries in responding to disasters, climate impacts, migration, and in bolstering adaptation and resilience programs. He is the Global Engagement Director at the Fossil Fuel Treaty Initiative. Previously, he served as the Head of Global Political Strategy at Climate Action Network International and led ActionAid's climate justice work globally. Harjeet has been a board member of both CAN International and the Global Network of Civil Society Organisations for Disaster Reduction. Currently, he is also a member of the United Nations' Technical Expert Group on Comprehensive Risk Management, under the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage. Harjeet co-founded Satat Sampada, a social enterprise dedicated to promoting sustainable environmental practices, such as organic food and farming, in India and beyond. He has authored and overseen numerous publications in the field of climate justice and disaster resilience.
Sustainable Solutions Series Overview
The Sustainable Solutions Speaker Series is presented by the Environmental Sciences and Policy and the Energy Policy and Climate programs at Johns Hopkins University. Each talk features scholars and practitioners working to tackle ‘wicked’ environmental, energy, and climate problems. Speakers take us through how they leverage technology, policy, the private sector, markets, research, and field work to form innovative and lasting solutions. From water insecurity to climate adaptation, natural resource conflict to energy transitions, and food insecurity to sustainable agriculture, this series features the depth and breadth of Johns Hopkins University faculty and our greater community toward a sustainable future.
