News and Announcements
The adaptation Fund Direct Access brochure now available
The Adaptation Fund’s pioneering and innovative direct access modality was the first of this kind to be fully operational among climate funds. Through direct access, accredited National Implementing Entities (NIEs) are able to directly access financing and manage all aspects of climate adaptation and resilience projects, from design through implementation and monitoring. Funds projects directly managed and led by countries and tailored to local adaptation needs. It builds country ownership to address climate change and empowers developing countries to build national adaptive capacities. Read more here
Adaptation Fund announces FIRCA of Cote d’Ivoire as second implementing entity to obtain accreditation through South-South cooperation grants
The Adaptation Fund Board approved the accreditation through a virtual intersessional decision. It marks the 32nd country to gain accreditation for an NIE through the Fund’s pioneering Direct Access modality, which builds country ownership in adaptation by empowering countries to directly access funding and identify, develop and implement their own projects. A well-established financing organization for the agriculture sector in Côte d’Ivoire, FIRCA (Fonds Interprofessionnel pour la Recherche et le Conseil Agricoles) has played a key role in the progress of the sector which serves as the primary economic base and provider of livelihoods for the country. Read more here
Adaptation Fund releases new 360-degree video and blog about the Fund’s readiness seminar and project visit in Antigua and Barbuda.
The 360-degree video was filmed last year as part of the Fund’s visit to the project sites in Antigua and for its 6th Annual Climate Finance Readiness Seminar held there at the same time. More than 20 of the Fund’s national implementing entities (NIEs) gathered to see the Antigua and Barbuda project in person, as well as share their own experiences and lessons from adaptation projects throughout the globe. Read more here
Adaptation Fund Board accredits FAO as the Fund’s 51st implementing entity
FAO becomes the Fund’s 13th multilateral implementing entity and 51st overall implementing entity to be accredited to develop and implement adaptation projects. It also marked the first time the Fund has applied its ‘Fast Track Accreditation’ process for the accreditation of a new implementing entity. Read more here
Adaptation Fund launches Community of Practice for Direct Access Entities web access
The Community of Practice for Direct Access Entities (CPDAE) is a community made up of the accredited National Implementing Entities (NIEs) of the Adaptation Fund (AF) which pioneered Direct Access and the accredited Direct Access Entities (DAEs) of the Green Climate Fund (GCF). Its aim is to provide an avenue for knowledge exchange, learning and experience sharing, collaboration and peer support within the community of NIEs and DAEs to increase the effectiveness of entities in accessing resources and implementing adaptation and mitigation projects and programs through direct access. Read more here
Adaptation Fund releases French version of e-learning course on project design and development: Press release in French about launch of E-Course French version
This interactive learning tool aims to support organizations in developing countries and facilitate their access to funding for adaptation to climate change. Read more here
English version also available here
Adaptation Fund consolidates Climate Finance Ready website and articles
Climate Finance Ready was an online platform for climate finance readiness that was active from 2014-2019 and helped play a key role in raising awareness for the importance of the Adaptation Fund’s Readiness Programme for Climate Finance during its formative years. Read more here
Summary of organization’s priorities/mandate/core areas of engagement on matters related to capacity-building e.g., technical assistance/support, grants, secondment, staff training, e-learning/courses, assessments, etc
The current COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all countries around the world and caused multiple and unpredictable challenges, the Adaptation Fund has taken some proactive measures to ensure continuity of operations and projects on the ground and continues to deliver capacity-building support to enhance access to the Fund’s resources, project formulation and development, and the screening, assessment and management of environmental and social risks as well as gender considerations in funded projects and programmes. Listen to the podcast Building Climate Resilience: Adapting in Time of Pandemic by the manager of the Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat here
Capacity-building activities during the last quarter 1 January – 31 March 2020
Activity 1: Adaptation Fund Engagement Pathways
Webinar hosted by WEDO on gender “Adaptation Fund Engagement Pathways”– July 8, 2020: AFB Secretariat presented the overview of the AF and its gender work and introduced its recently launched e-learning course.
The webinar recording available here
The slides from the presentation available here
Activity 2: E-learning course on accreditation and project design and implementation
The Adaptation Fund developed an interactive learning tool aimed at helping developing country organizations improve access to adaptation finance. The course provides an overview and guide of the Fund’s accreditation process of becoming an implementing entity with the Fund, and also covers its project design and implementation processes to help implementers develop effective projects on the ground.
French language available here
Spanish language available here
Activity 3: Raising awareness and confidence in implementing adaptation during the COVID-19 pandemic
On 29 May the Adaptation Fund released a news story about value of AF projects on the ground during the pandemic, including building localized approaches through Direct Access. The news story showcases how implementing entities can adapt to uncertainties and impacts on projects and adaptation activities as a result of the pandemic. Read more here
Activity 4: Adaptation Fund collaborates with AF NGO Network/CSOs
On July 14 the Adaptation Fund NGO Network in partnership with CAN South Asia, Development Alternatives (DA) and CAN South East Asia hosted a webinar on ‘experiences gained from assessment/implementation of AF projects in South Asia and South East Asia from the CSO perspectives’. The AFB secretariat presented “Opportunities for civil society to participate in adaptation fund projects and processes.
Activities Planned for the Next Quarter
1-3 September: 2020 Annual seminar for accredited NIEs of the Fund (Virtual seminar)
22-24 Sept: Project development training for NIEs (Webinar)
Sept dates to be announced soon: Innovation in adaptation (Webinar)
Sept dates to be announced soon: Locally led adaptation (Webinar)