Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change

Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change
Name	Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change
Formation	2005
Headquarters	Nairobi
Parent organization	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
Type	Programme
Region served	Global

Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change The Nairobi work programme on impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to climate change is a United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change initiative established to enhance understanding of scientific, technical and socio-economic aspects of climate change adaptation and to facilitate the use of knowledge by policy makers, practitioners and stakeholders. It links research, assessment and practice across IPCC reports, UNEP activities and WMO services to inform decisions at national and subnational levels in regions such as Africa, Asia, Latin America, Small Island Developing States, and Least Developed Countries.

Background and establishment

The programme was established at the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in 2005 in Montreal and later operationalized through decisions at COP13 in Bali. It was developed amid growing influence of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessments, the Kyoto Protocol, and the policy attention catalyzed by actors including UNDP, United Nations Environment Programme and the World Bank. Founding motivations drew on earlier events such as the Third Assessment Report and high-profile forums like the Millennium Summit and the World Summit on Sustainable Development to bridge gaps between scientific outputs from the IPCC and adaptation planning in jurisdictions including Kenya, India, Bangladesh, Brazil and Australia.

Objectives and scope

The programme’s objectives include enhancing the availability, access and use of adaptation-relevant information; improving understanding of vulnerability and impacts; strengthening capacities for adaptation planning in countries such as South Africa, Mexico, Vietnam and Fiji; and catalysing partnerships among institutions like Food and Agriculture Organization, IFRC, Green Climate Fund, and regional bodies such as the African Union and the ASEAN. Its scope spans sectors addressed in IPCC chapters—agriculture, health, water resources, infrastructure and biodiversity—while engaging with policy frameworks such as the Paris Agreement and the SDGs.

Activities and methodologies

Activities have included technical expert meetings, pilot projects, knowledge exchanges, and development of guidance combining approaches from the IPCC Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Assessment Reports, climate services from the WMO, and vulnerability assessments used by agencies like UNDP, World Bank and ADB. Methodologies promoted include climate risk screening, scenario analysis drawing on RCPs and SSPs, participatory vulnerability assessment tools used in Nepal, Philippines, and Mozambique, and ecosystem-based adaptation methods informed by Convention on Biological Diversity guidance. The programme encouraged integration of monitoring and evaluation frameworks similar to those employed by GEF projects and applied the decision-support tools of institutions like IIED and SEI.

Outputs and knowledge products

Outputs comprised technical papers, policy briefs, case studies from countries including Ethiopia, Jamaica, Thailand, and Tanzania, and compendia of good practice developed with partners such as WRI and Conservation International. Knowledge products synthesized lessons from project portfolios funded through channels like the Adaptation Fund and made linkages to reports by the IPBES, UN Habitat, and the ILO. The programme produced guidance on indicators, metrics and best practices for assessing adaptation benefits and resilience in sectors noted in IPCC contributions.

Institutional arrangements and partnerships

Governance involved the UNFCCC Secretariat in Bonn, collaborations with multilateral institutions including UNEP, UNDP, WMO, World Bank, regional development banks such as the African Development Bank, and research centres like IPSL, CSIRO, PIK and Stockholm Resilience Centre. Partnerships extended to civil society organizations such as WWF, CARE International, Oxfam and networks including the Global Adaptation Network and Adaptation Committee. Engagements connected national focal points from countries listed under the Convention and stakeholders from municipalities like Nairobi, Lima, Rio de Janeiro and New York City.

Implementation, uptake and impact

Implementation translated into enhanced national adaptation plans in countries such as Bangladesh, Malawi and Tuvalu, integration of climate information into sectoral policies in Philippines and Chile, and capacity building through workshops co-hosted with UNDP and UNEP. The programme influenced financing decisions by agencies like the Green Climate Fund and shaped methodologies used by projects funded by the Global Environment Facility and IFC. It contributed to cross-referencing in IPCC assessments and informed regional strategies by the European Commission and ECLAC.

Criticisms and challenges

Critiques targeted the programme’s scalability, the uneven uptake across regions such as Pacific Islands and Central Asia, limited direct finance mobilization compared with needs articulated by IPCC and UNEP, and coordination gaps among institutions including UNDP, World Bank and bilateral donors like USAID and DFID. Methodological challenges included translating global scenarios like RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 into locally actionable plans, aligning monitoring frameworks with SDG indicators, and ensuring equitable participation of indigenous groups such as Maori and Sami. Persistent debates involve the balance between technical guidance from IPCC and normative priorities of parties to the UNFCCC.

Category:Climate change adaptation