environmental governance, Loss and Damage and deliberative democracy. It argues that effective climate governance depends on inclusive institutions that recognise marginalised voices, address structural inequalities and strengthen state–society relations. The paper concludes that climate governance is fundamentally a political process in which recognition, participation and representation are essential to achieving climate justice. It calls for climate adaptation and disaster policies to recognise lightning-related deaths as climate-induced loss, strengthen gender-responsive social protection, and establish participatory governance mechanisms that enable affected communities to shape climate policy, supporting more legitimate, equitable and resilient responses to climate change.
