- 2nd call is now open for the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator! - The Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) aims to foster innovation in climate change adaptation in developing countries. We are looking for great ideas for adaptation technologies that need funding to scale up! UNEP will be responsible for administrating $5 million to these great ideas. The second call for submissions is open until 30th April. Find out more here.
- Iraq launches National Adaptation Plan process for climate change resilience - The Government of Iraq, in partnership with UNEP, has launched a process to develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP). The NAP process aims to build climate resilience through strategic planning based on projections of future climate change. NAPs are seen as one of the most important mechanisms for adapting to climate change.
- Massive Open Online Course: Nature-based Solutions for Climate & Disaster Resilience – A brand new online course was launched on 22 January! The course will help you understand how to apply Nature-based Solutions that restore or protect ecosystems and biodiversity to build resilience to climate change and disasters. The introductory module is designed to be accessible to everyone, whatever your level of experience or your background. Read more.
- Adaptation Gap Report 2020 – UNEP published its major Adaptation Gap Report, which finds that while nations have advanced in adaptation planning, huge gaps remain in adaptation finance provided for developing countries. The report shows that Nature-based Solutions have great potential for adaptation. Follow the links for the press release, a multimedia story, and an ‘Ask A Scientist’ interview with one of the lead authors.
- Nature-based Resilience Stream at the APAN Forum - At the 7th APAN Forum, UNEP co-led the Nature-based Resilience Stream together with IUCN. Under this stream, GAN co-organized two technical sessions: one on planning and processes with UNEP ROAP, and another on science and assessments with UNFCCC. CTCN also led the ‘Technologies & Practices’ session of the Stream.
- Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) – On behalf of UNEP’s Global Adaptation Network (GAN), the regional node West Asia Adaptation and Resilience Network (WARN-CC) held a workshop with the UNFCCC for the Middle East & North Africa region to close adaptation knowledge gaps identified through the LAKI. Held on 8-10 December, the event hosted a wide range of governments and organizations, including the Government of Jordan. On 23 February, another LAKI workshop was held for Pacific Small Island Developing States, and it identified critical knowledge gaps in the Pacific. On the 10 March, a technical session organized by UN Climate Change and the Global Adaptation Network at the 7th APAN Forum shared perspectives from across the Asia Pacific region on how to close knowledge gaps and scale up adaptation action, including nature-based approaches.
- US$6 million project to help Rwanda build greater resilience to floods, drought - A $6 million project in Rwanda is set to build the country’s capacity to plan and implement climate change adaptation initiatives. The four-year National Adaptation Planning Process Project, funded by the Global Environment Facility, aims at increasing the capacity of the government, private sector and communities to plan, fund, implement and monitor climate change adaptation across the country.
Capacity-building activities during the period 1 July 2020 – 30 April 2021
National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP)
The joint UNDP-UNEP National Adaptation Plan Global Support Programme (NAP-GSP), funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), assists least developed and developing countries to identify technical, institutional and financial needs to integrate climate change adaptation into medium and long-term national planning and financing. The programme supports the process to formulate and implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Read more here https://www.globalsupportprogramme.org/nap-gsp
Enhancing Ecosystem-based Adaptation in National Adaptation Plans
Through the NAP-GSP above, UNEP is developing Supplementary Guidelines for Integrating Ecosystem-based Adaptation into National Adaptation Plans. On 3rd December 2020, GAN held a webinar in partnership with the NAP Global Network (IISD). The webinar introduced the upcoming Guidelines. The NAP Global Network also presented their new analysis of the extent to which EbA has so far been taken up in NAP processes. We are very pleased to announce that we are working with Friends of EbA (FEBA) on a Working Group for contributions and consultations for the guidelines. The Working Group will provide case studies and examples for the Guidelines, as well as participating in feedback dialogues. Read more here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4AuiPz6xDNA&feature=youtu.be
National Adaptation Plans – One-on-one Country Support
UNEP is currently supporting 18 country National Adaptation Planning processes with financial support from GCF (16) and GEF LDCF (2). Another 13 project proposals are under development for GCF funding. Since July 2020, UNEP has helped to launch three new NAP projects in Malawi, Iraq, and Rwanda. Read more here https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/climate-change/what-we-do/climate-adaptation/national-adaptation-plans
Ecosystem-based Adaptation Project Portfolio
UNEP is directly helping 40+ governments around the world to use Ecosystem-based Adaptation (EbA) to protect their country from climate change. These EbA projects combined are aiming to benefit around 2.5 million people globally, while aiming to restore a 113,000 hectares of land. The portfolio is funded by the Global Environment Fund, the Green Climate Fund, and the Adaptation Fund. In total, the project portfolio is training 60,000 people and 131 institutions to increase their awareness of climate change. Read more here https://www.unenvironment.org/explore-topics/climate-change/what-we-do/climate-adaptation/ecosystem-based-adaptation
Building Partnerships Through The Global Adaptation Network
The Global Adaptation Network (GAN), a knowledge sharing platform for climate adaptation, is expanding at considerable pace! Since July 2020, we’ve hired 4 new staff – 3 regional liaisons and 1 Associate Programme Management Officer. GAN is now currently preparing the launch of a brand new adaptation podcast. Read more https://www.unep.org/gan/
Launching the Global EbA Fund
This year, UNEP and IUCN are jointly launching the Global Fund for Ecosystem-based Adaptation, which aims to provide targeted and rapid support mechanisms through seed capital for innovative approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation. The Fund is a quickly deployable mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to EbA. The Fund is structured to support catalytic initiatives to help to overcome identified barriers to upscaling EbA. Read more here https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/unep-iucn-launch-new-eu20m-programme-ecosystem-based-adaptation
Expanding the EPIC Model to Asia Pacific
Pioneered by the EPIC Network, the EPIC model has a proven track record of increasing climate-resilience and sustainability by forming key partnerships between city officials and local universities. In March 2021, a new EPIC workshop was organized in partnership with the Global Adaptation Network and START International to expand the model to Asia. Furthermore, the EPIC Network is sharing an upcoming virtual training opportunity on its pioneering model to gain greater understanding of how cities and universities in the Asia-Pacific can create more effective, action-oriented partnerships that bolster local resilience and sustainability! After the training, the most promising city-university pairs can apply for a seed grant (around USD 2,000 per pair) to support their proposed EPIC project. Read more here http://start.org/wp-content/uploads/news/EPIC-N-Asia-announcement-V3-Oct-2020.docx.pdf
Webinars: Climate Risk Scenarios and Assessments in Africa
UNEP has organized webinars for government ministries to build capacity in terms of climate risk projections and assessments. These include:
- Climate Risk Scenarios & Assessments in Africa. Held in September 2020 in partnership with Zutari.
- Climate Risk Scenarios & Assessments in Africa (Francophone). Held in September 2020 in partnership with Aria Technologies.
National Adaptation Plan Action Days
On 20-21 October, participants gathered for a virtual meeting, titled NAP Action Days: Regional Exchange on NAP projects in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized by UNDP & UNEP. Government representatives and NAP project teams from 10 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the dialogue: Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay. The NAP Action Days have the goal of promoting dialogue between the coordinating teams of these projects to share their experiences and barriers. Read more here http://www.cambioclimatico-regatta.org/index.php/es/ultimas-noticias/item/nap-action-days
New UNEP programme to support climate resilience in Pacific Islands through early warning systems
A transformative new programme initiated by UNEP aims to establish climate and ocean information services and multi-hazard early warning systems in Pacific Small Island Developing States, which are among the most vulnerable in the world when it comes to climate change. Read more here https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/press-release/new-unep-programme-support-climate-resilience-pacific-islands
Increasing resilience through Nature based Solutions in Latin American cities (Nature4Cities Latam)
A recently approved readiness project, funded by the Green Climate Fund, is supporting 4 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to identify and address the main barriers for nature-based adaptation and mitigation solutions by providing the necessary assessments, capacities and alternatives to financing schemes to accelerate adoption of these strategies. Titled Nature4Cities, the project is working in Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, and Dominican Republic. Read more here https://cambioclimatico-regatta.org/index.php/en/latest-news/item/nature4cities-latam
Publications
Story: ‘Sponge City’: San Salvador uses nature to fight floods
A recent story explores how UNEP is working with San Salvador city and its surrounding coffee farms to create a natural defence against floods. Known as CityAdapt, the project is restoring 1,150 hectares of forests and coffee plantations. The goal? Revive San Salvador’s ability to absorb rainfall. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/sponge-city-san-salvador-uses-nature-fight-floods
Story: In Latin America, farmers use microfinance to fight climate change
A recent story explores how UNEP is working with San Salvador city and its surrounding coffee farms to create a natural defence against floods. Known as CityAdapt, the project is restoring 1,150 hectares of forests and coffee plantations. The goal? Revive San Salvador’s ability to absorb rainfall. https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/story/latin-america-farmers-use-microfinance-fight-climate-change
Blue Nature-based Solutions in Nationally Determined Contributions: A Booklet for Successful Implementation
Blue Solutions, a global project implemented in partnership by GIZ, GRID-Arendal, IUCN, and UNEP, has published a new booklet. It presents learning from 24 case studies on marine and coastal nature-based solutions and their successful implementation for NDCs. https://panorama.solutions/en/news/blue-nature-based-solutions-national…
Brochure: Financing and Climate Action in Cities: Nature-based Solutions as a mechanism for adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean
UNEP, with the support of Euroclima+, the Global Environmental Facility and Practical Action Peru, is developing a virtual course on Financing and Climate Action in Cities: Nature-based Solutions as a mechanism for adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean. https://cityadapt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/Brochure_Online_Course_Financing_And_Climate_Action_In_Cities.pdf
Story: Tackling climate change with South-South cooperation and nature
For the International Day for South-South Cooperation on 12 September, UNEP explored a project that’s using nature to adapt to climate change in three ecosystems – the coasts of Seychelles, the mountains of Nepal and the deserts of Mauritania.https://www.unenvironment.org/news-and-stories/story/south-south-cooperation-tackle-climate-change
Science for Adaptation Policy Briefs
UNEP’s World Adaptation Science Programme produced 3 new policy briefs, which aim to encourage demand-driven knowledge creation and engage stakeholders at the science-policy-action interface. The policy briefs are: 1) Adaptation Decision-Support Tools & Platforms; 2) Transboundary Climate Risk and Adaptation; 3) High-end Climate Change and Adaptation
Global Adaptation Network Newsletters
Stay up to date with the latest adaptation news! You can sign up to the GAN Newsletter here.
August & September 2020 – link
October & November – link
December 2020 & January 2021 - link
Upcoming events
5/5/2021. World Environment Day. The theme of this year’s World Environment Day is Ecosystem Restoration. Pakistan will act as global host of the day. World Environment Day 2021 will see the launch of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/
June 2021 (TBC). Launching the Global EbA Fund. This year, UNEP and IUCN are jointly launching the Global Fund for Ecosystem-based Adaptation, which aims to provide targeted and rapid support mechanisms through seed capital for innovative approaches to ecosystem-based adaptation. The Fund is a quickly deployable mechanism for supporting innovative approaches to EbA. The Fund is structured to support catalytic initiatives to help to overcome identified barriers to upscaling EbA.