Climate Loss Index (CLiX): From loss measurement to loss meaning

Climate loss is not only about what is destroyed, displaced, or diminished. It is also about what is felt, remembered, and reinterpreted in the aftermath of change. Across the world, climate impacts are reshaping lives in ways that numbers alone cannot capture. Loss unfolds through broken relationships, disrupted ways of life, and shifting meanings of identity and belonging. Yet, much of this remains unseen, uncounted, and unheard. To truly understand climate loss, we must move beyond measuring what is visible and begin to engage with how loss is experienced, connected, and made meaningful. The Climate Loss Index is a process-based methodology designed to capture climate loss in its full complexity. It consists of five interconnected stages (C-L-I-X-X): Contextualize, to understand the conditions, climate triggers, and capacities (3C) shaping vulnerability; Layer, to identify and categorize losses using the material, relational, and interpretive (MRI) lens; Interact, to examine how different forms of loss connect and evolve across time and space; eXpose, to reveal inequalities, power dynamics, and differential exposure and recovery; and eXplore, to co-develop resilience pathways through respond, reorient, and reform (3R). Across all stages, the framework embeds inclusive community engagement (ICE), ensuring that the voices, experiences, and interpretations of affected communities are central to both analysis and action. Designed as a practical and adaptable methodology, CLiX can be applied across diverse socio-ecological contexts. This manual provides a structured and easy-to-follow guide for field implementation and includes sample quantitative questionnaires, qualitative guidelines, and reporting templates intended to support context-sensitive application.