Countries vary in their ability to develop national adaptation plans (NAPs) under the UNFCCC, given the capacity gap between developed and developing countries. This challenge was the focus of several side events during the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 26), which concluded on 13 November 2021.

The events were organized by the NAP Global Network, which was established in 2014 at COP 20. It connects over 1,500 participants from over 150 countries to help plan and implement adaptation at the national level. The Network aims to advance the NAP process. It facilitates peer-to-peer knowledge exchange through exchange programmes and forums; supports national level action through its Country Support Hub; and develops resources and analyses that synthesize how countries are advancing their NAP processes. Thematically, the Network focuses on: gender; monitoring, evaluation, and learning; private sector engagement; nature-based solutions; vertical integration; strategic communications; sector integration; financing; and aligning NAPs with nationally determined contributions. 

An 8 November event on Adaptation: From Planning to Action sought to share lessons learned by countries developing their NAPs. New funding from donor countries to facilitate and build capacity for NAP planning and implementation was also announced.

Representatives from Burkina Faso, Ghana, and Grenada shared their governments’ experiences in developing NAPs. Speakers called for: ensuring political buy-in among policymakers; legal mechanisms that can ensure the plan is implemented and resources are correctly allocated; district-level adaptation plans; and databases for disaggregated climate risks at the local level. Ireland said it will provide EUR 1 million to support small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries (LDCs) to strengthen transparency and accountability ahead of the 2023 Global Stocktake (GST), with a special focus on monitoring and evaluation. Canada recently announced a commitment of up to CAD 10 million to the NAP process, building on its initial investment of CAD 4 million, to focus on empowering women and girls, marginalized groups, and those most affected by climate impacts. 

On 9 November an event titled Capacity Building for Adaptation Action: Focus on Adaptation Communications discussed ways to ensure capacity is delivered in a sustained manner to encourage capacity retention over the long term. Participants discussed ways of communicating countries’ progress in developing NAPs. Viet Nam and eSwatini shared their adaptation communication (ADCOM) experiences, the latter of which has been piloting GIZ’s Adaptation Communication Drafting Assistance Tool (AdComm-DAT).

Key messages from the event included:

• ADCOMs should strengthen national adaptation planning, implementation, and monitoring processes;
• Capacity building should include all levels and sectors, particularly the most vulnerable sectors of society, and ensure all voices are heard; and
• Integration across key national sectors and ensuring efficient synergies between national and global adaptation processes must be built into capacity-building efforts. 

Anne Hammill, NAP Global Network Secretariat, said ADCOMs aim to provide input to the GST under the Paris Agreement, and enhance learning and understanding of adaptation needs and actions of individual countries. Other speakers stressed: local and sub-national level capacity building is necessary to reflect issues such as gender sensitivities and how to engage the private sector; building on traditional knowledge; and including economists who are responsible for planning and coordinating, as well as universities and research centers who can build the tools to track and evaluate implementation of adaptation plans.

The NAP Global Network’s Secretariat is hosted by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). [NAP Global Network at COP 26] [ENB coverage of COP 26 side events]