How small and locally led grants can address loss and damage

The report evaluates five small, locally led grants funded by the Scottish government to address loss and damage (L&D). It argues that while small grants are limited in scale and duration, they are essential for rapid action, capacity building, and piloting human rights-based approaches. Key findings emphasize the need to bridge the gap between L&D and adaptation, prioritize 'trapped' populations in migration support, and shift from rigid output-based monitoring to trust-based, outcome-oriented partnerships grounded in climate justice.

• A human rights-based approach to loss and damage (L&D) provides a more nuanced understanding of local needs than conventional economic and non-economic categorizations, focusing on restoring dignity and agency through self-determination.
• There is a significant practical overlap between L&D and adaptation on the ground, making rigid bureaucratic distinctions counterproductive for implementing partners and affected communities.
• L&D responses must consciously address intersectional vulnerabilities and pre-existing power dynamics to avoid excluding the most marginalized, such as LGBTQIA+ people, who are often silenced or omitted from project targeting.
• Poorly designed adaptation measures can lead to maladaptation that worsens L&D; for example, a poorly maintained sea wall in Guinea delayed the perception of risk before eventually breaking and displacing 5,000 people.
• Migration support often overlooks 'trapped' populations—those who lack the financial resources or networks to relocate—who are frequently the most vulnerable and precarious.
• Relocation efforts face significant hurdles regarding land procurement and non-economic losses, such as cultural ties to ancestral burial grounds, which may lead communities to refuse relocation despite high risks.
• Small grants are effective for early action and capacity building but are often too small and short-term to provide necessary psychological support or ensure long-term project sustainability without a robust exit strategy.
• Trust-based partnerships that prioritize outcomes over rigid activity lists allow local partners to adapt to shifting needs and can help decolonize the relationship between funders and recipients.
• Relying on existing trust-based partnerships to disseminate funds reduces reporting burdens and increases access but risks 'gatekeeping', where new organizations with high needs are shut out.

APA

Bakhtaoui, I., Shawoo, Z., Diallo, A. A., Barua, A., Dinshaw, A., Twongirwe, I., Nkhoma, L., Waqavonovono, M., Kourabas, M., Shahjahan, M., Bainteiti, I. R., & Soqo, S. (2023). How small and locally led grants can address loss and damage. Stockholm Environment Institute. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/sei2023.061-small-grants-loss-damage-scottish.pdf

Chicago

Bakhtaoui, Inès, Zoha Shawoo, Alpha Amadou Diallo, Ashish Barua, Ayesha Dinshaw, Ireen Twongirwe, Lameck Nkhoma, et al. How small and locally led grants can address loss and damage. Stockholm Environment Institute, 2023. https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/sei2023.061-small-grants-loss-damage-scottish.pdf.

Wikipedia

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BibTeX

@techreport{bakhtaoui2023how, author = {Bakhtaoui, Inès and Shawoo, Zoha and Diallo, Alpha Amadou and Barua, Ashish and Dinshaw, Ayesha and Twongirwe, Ireen and Nkhoma, Lameck and Waqavonovono, Makereta and Kourabas, Michael and Shahjahan, Mohammad and Bainteiti, Itinterunga Rae and Soqo, Salote}, title = {{How small and locally led grants can address loss and damage}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2023}, month = dec, url = {https://www.sei.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/sei2023.061-small-grants-loss-damage-scottish.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }