Report reveals financial support promised by rich nations for adaptation measures is well behind the pace that is needed

Flows of money to help poor countries cope with the climate crisis have been flat or falling since 2022, despite growing impacts from extreme weather and warnings from scientists that global heating may be accelerating.

A new UN report has revealed that financial support for adaptation – which includes measures such as stronger infrastructure, early warning systems, flood protection and drought-resilient irrigation – is woefully short of what is needed and far behind even the inadequate promises that rich countries signed up to in 2021 in recognition of their far greater responsibility for the crisis.

The world’s 155 developing nations will need $305bn (£226bn) annually by 2035 to adapt to heatwaves, fires, floods, storms, droughts and rising sea levels that are made more intense or more frequent as a result of decades of burning fossil fuels, mostly in wealthy global north nations, according to the UN Environment Programme.