The climate resilience trap: Enduring, rebuilding, and going into debt?
Summary
Nepal’s repeated disaster recovery is raising hard questions about whether resilience is becoming a burden, especially when families must rebuild homes and livelihoods through debt. The article argues that climate finance should prioritize grants, early warning systems, and support that helps people recover with dignity rather than long-term financial vulnerability.
Key Points
- Nepal continues to rebuild after repeated shocks such as earthquakes, floods and the COVID-19 pandemic, but the costs of resilience are increasingly falling on households.
- The August 26 floods highlighted how disaster recovery can destroy savings, livelihoods and homes while pushing families toward debt.
- The article argues that climate finance should emphasize grants and non-debt support for climate-vulnerable countries like Nepal, especially for recovery and loss and damage.
- It also stresses that recovery must be gender-responsive, since women often have less asset ownership and weaker access to collateral-based finance.
