Safeguarding tailings dams at the climate brink.

The article discusses the US$1.3 trillion annual climate finance pledge made at the 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) in Belém, Brazil, which aims to protect vulnerable communities from climate impacts. It highlights the overlooked risks posed by aging mining waste containment structures, known as tailings dams, which are increasingly destabilized by climate change and can release toxic materials into ecosystems. The article emphasizes the need for systematic monitoring and governance of these dams, particularly in the Global South, and calls for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to mandate assessments of climate-related risks associated with tailings dams in national adaptation plans. It also advocates for the establishment of a global inventory of tailings dams and enhanced monitoring systems to prevent ecological disasters. [Extracted from the article]