The key facts

  • The IFRC urged governments to increase funding for climate adaptation and disaster preparedness ahead of COP31 in Antalya
  • According to an analysis prepared for the IFRC and WWF, nature-based solutions can reduce the severity of climate hazards by about 31% and save developing economies up to $148 billion a year by 2030
  • The Federation demands strengthening climate-resilient healthcare, channeling adaptation funds to local communities, and expanding early warning systems

The call ahead of the summit in Antalya

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Wednesday urged governments to increase funding for climate adaptation and disaster preparedness, warning that the growing frequency of extreme weather events is raising risks for vulnerable communities. The appeal came a week before the start of the UN climate summit COP31 in Antalya, Turkey, Anadolu reports.

Expectations and calculations

The Federation stressed that anticipatory preparedness measures are becoming 'increasingly critical' against the backdrop of an expected stronger El Niño, which could intensify weather extremes in the coming months. An updated analysis prepared for the IFRC and WWF shows that nature-based solutions can reduce the severity of climate and weather hazards by roughly 31%. According to the same estimates, such measures could spare developing economies at least $148 billion in annual losses by 2030, and $577 billion by 2050.

The Federation's demands

'Too many communities still do not receive the support they need to prepare for increasingly serious climate risks,' said IFRC Secretary General Jagan Chapagain, calling for climate commitments to be turned into practical investments that protect lives and livelihoods. As an example, the Federation cited the recent flood in Nepal: a school principal trained in disaster response evacuated 1,600 students just minutes before floodwaters destroyed the building; all the children survived. The IFRC recommended that governments strengthen climate-resilient healthcare, channel more adaptation funding directly to local communities, and expand early warning systems together with measures that enable people to act before disaster strikes.