A New Model of Aid for the Climate Crisis

Vanuatu was struck last month by the most devastating cyclone in its history, but the world was distracted by a bigger disaster—COVID-19—and aid commitments are falling far short of what is needed. COVID-19 is showing us a harsh truth—when developed countries are distracted by disasters at home, they send less bilateral aid to developing countries, even when those countries badly need it....Well-structured assistance programs can turn cities into hardened hubs that can survive a disaster and act as launchpads for supporting the rest of the country. Done well, aid projects can reduce CO2 emissions (mitigation) and protect against disasters (adaptation) while also building the capacity of governments (technical training and support) and stimulating private-sector activities.