National Adaptation Programme of Action

National Adaptation Programme of Action
Name	National Adaptation Programme of Action
Abbreviation	NAPA
Established	2001
Purpose	Climate change adaptation planning for least developed countries
Administered by	United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

Contents

National Adaptation Programme of Action is a policy instrument designed for rapid assessment and planning of urgent adaptation needs in least developed countries. It was initiated in response to decisions under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and linked to processes involving the United Nations Development Programme, the Global Environment Facility, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The programme informed climate resilience initiatives across regions such as Sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, and the Small Island Developing States.

Background and Purpose

The initiative emerged after deliberations at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and was shaped by inputs from the Alliance of Small Island States, the World Bank, and the International Institute for Environment and Development. It responds to vulnerability assessments associated with reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Fourth Assessment Report and aligns with financing modalities under the Global Environment Facility Trust Fund. The purpose is to identify urgent adaptation needs in countries listed by the United Nations Committee for Development Policy and to prioritize actions compatible with frameworks like the Hyogo Framework for Action and later the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Preparation typically involved national focal points designated to liaise with entities such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme. National teams included experts affiliated with institutions like the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the African Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank. Consultations convened stakeholders from ministries noted in agreements between Least Developed Countries Group representatives and multilateral partners including the European Union and bilateral agencies such as Department for International Development (UK) and United States Agency for International Development. Methodologies drew on guidance from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and technical support from research institutes such as the Stockholm Environment Institute and the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

NAPA documents commonly prioritized sectors like agriculture, water resources, coastal management, and public health, engaging organizations such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Health Organization, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Sectoral interventions referenced adaptation measures from studies by the International Food Policy Research Institute, the World Meteorological Organization, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Priority actions often included infrastructure reinforcement linked to projects funded by the Green Climate Fund concept, nature-based solutions aligned with guidance from the Convention on Biological Diversity, and disaster risk reduction approaches informed by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies.

Implementation relied on financing channels coordinated among the Global Environment Facility, multilateral development banks such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and bilateral partners like the German Agency for International Cooperation and the Japan International Cooperation Agency. Execution arrangements often involved national planning agencies, provincial authorities, and civil society organizations including OXFAM, CARE International, and World Wildlife Fund. Monitoring frameworks referenced standards used by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and reporting mechanisms under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Where applicable, implementation linked to regional bodies such as the Economic Community of West African States and the Pacific Islands Forum.

Examples include countries across multiple regions: in Bangladesh NAPA-informed actions intersected with initiatives by the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna basin projects and collaborations with the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh; in Malawi agricultural priorities aligned with programs by the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics and the Food and Agriculture Organization; in Kiribati coastal adaptation engaged the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme and the Pacific Community; in Nepal mountain adaptation linked to work by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the Asian Development Bank; in Senegal and Mozambique projects interfaced with the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme. Outcomes ranged from construction of climate-resilient infrastructure endorsed by the World Bank to policy mainstreaming into national development plans overseen by ministries that coordinate with the United Nations Development Programme.

Critiques have cited limited access to sustained funding through instruments like the Green Climate Fund and constraints in capacity highlighted by evaluations from the Independent Evaluation Office of the International Monetary Fund and assessments by the United Nations Office for Project Services. Other criticisms referenced fragmentation between donor priorities represented by the European Commission and implementing agencies such as the United Nations Development Programme, and challenges in integrating NAPA priorities into long-term strategies like those advocated by the Sustainable Development Goals process. Calls for reform advocated stronger alignment with mechanisms under the Paris Agreement and enhanced technical support from research centers including the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment and the Stockholm Resilience Centre.

Category:Climate change adaptation