August 2011: The Poverty Environment Initiative (PEI) – a joint collaboration between the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) – has launched a guide titled “Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning: A Guide for Practitioners.” The publication provides step-by-step guidance on how governments and other national actors can mainstream climate change adaptation into national development planning as part of their broader efforts.

The guide proposes a framework consisting of three components: identifying entry points into development planning and making the case for mainstreaming climate change adaptation; integrating adaptation issues into an ongoing policy process such as a national development planning or sectoral strategies; and mainstreaming climate change adaptation into budgeting and financing, as well as implementation and monitoring.

The guide provides information on: key concepts related to mainstreaming adaptation to climate change; models for mainstreaming climate adaptation; finding entry points into national development planning and making the case to decision-makers; integrating climate adaptation into policy processes, including collecting country-specific evidence; and meeting the implementation challenge via monitoring, budgeting, strengthening institutions, and working at multiple policy levels.

PEI is a global UN-led programme that supports country-led efforts to mainstream poverty-environment linkages into national development planning. It provides financial and technical assistance to government partners for setting up institution- and capacity-strengthening programs. [Publication: Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into Development Planning: A Guide for Practitioners]