The Least Developed Countries (LDC) are a group of 45 nations, all disproportionately affected by climate change, despite being the least responsible for it. The LDCs are varied in terms of geography, contexts and vulnerabilities to climate change, and include small island states, mountainous, and landlocked countries.
They are made up of 33 countries in Africa, one country in Latin America and the Caribbean, eight countries in Asia and three countries in Oceania. Together, LDCs are playing a leading role in global efforts to prevent dangerous climate change and are taking decisive action to step up their own climate efforts and ambition.
A total of ten LDCs have joined LIFE-AR: Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, The Gambia and Uganda were the first cohort of six countries to join LIFE-AR in 2019; and Benin, Madagascar, Nepal and Senegal became the second cohort of countries to join in 2023. All countries signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the LDC Chair to join LIFE-AR.
