UN Urges Action on El Nino Costs
UNDP head Alexander De Croo says acting now would cost $36 billion, versus $73 billion if the response is delayed.
Updated on Nov. 13, 2026 in Environmental
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Alexander De Croo, head of the UN Development Programme, called for acting now against El Nino, saying action costs $36 billion while delay would cost $73 billion. The appeal came as funding for the El Nino response became one of the most contentious questions at the COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey.
Why it matters
A UNDP report cited African Development Bank calculations of $10 billion to $20 billion in damage to African countries from the current El Nino cycle. Developing countries, which have not recovered from the Covid pandemic, argue that richer nations bear historic responsibility for global warming and should provide more financial support.
The figures are cost projections from the UN Development Programme and damage estimates from the African Development Bank, with the ECLAC projecting GDP losses of at least two percent over three years. Who will pay the $36 billion and how the funding would be divided remain unresolved.
The players
Alexander De Croo
Alexander De Croo is the head of the United Nations Development Programme, the UN agency focused on poverty reduction and sustainable development.
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the UN agency that works with developing countries on poverty reduction, governance and sustainable development.
African Development Bank
The African Development Bank is a multilateral development finance institution that funds infrastructure and economic development across the African continent.
United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean
The United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean is a UN regional body that produces economic research and analysis for the region.
The details
De Croo spoke to AFP at the UN climate conference in Antalya, Turkey, where funding for the El Nino response is one of the most contentious questions. Investment in adaptation would fund efforts by developing countries most vulnerable to El Nino's effects, and the UNDP is working with 47 countries on increasing trust for investment.
Timeline
Friday: De Croo spoke to AFP at the Antalya climate conference.
This week: UNDP published its report on El Nino damage estimates.
Over three years: ECLAC projects cumulative GDP losses of at least two percent from El Nino.
Climate Financing Context
Developing countries say they have not had time to recover since the Covid pandemic, and the El Nino cycle now adds to that strain. Their demand for more financial support from richer nations rests on the historic responsibility for global warming that those nations carry.
Households in countries hit by El Nino could face higher food and living costs if the disrupted weather and economic losses reach the scale projected. The ECLAC estimate of 4.8 million additional people pushed into poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean shows how these losses translate into everyday hardship.
The takeaway
Acting early on El Nino costs roughly half of waiting, according to UNDP's estimates, which is the central argument the agency is putting to negotiators at COP31.
Further reading
For more on the climate and weather forces behind these losses, see the Environmental section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Macau Business.
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