Scaling-up support for locally led adaptation

Despite the importance of climate adaptation for SIDS and least developed countries, and the goal to double adaptation finance by 2025, there have been growing concerns that climate actions are failing to reach the communities that need it most. Evidence indicates that the amount of financial support for developing countries is inadequate, and only an estimated 10% reaches the local level. The need for greater inclusion of frontline communities and climate vulnerable and marginalized groups in decision-making processes and for support for them to adapt to climate change impacts is critical. The 8 global Principles for Locally Led Adaptation were developed by the Global Commission on Adaptation and partners to highlight the need to empower local stakeholders and move towards ‘business-unusual’ for adaptation.

About the Project

The project, “Scaling-Up Support for Locally Led Adaptation”, aimed to scale-up practical actions and financing for locally led adaptation (LLA) in alignment with the 8 global principles. LLA seeks to empower local actors to lead in adapting to climate change and gives communities on the frontlines a voice in decisions that directly affect their lives and livelihoods. It can also be more effective than adaptation interventions run in a top-down manner because local actors are better positioned to operate in specific local contexts, and devolving power to local actors increases their awareness of and investment in adaptation and improves outcomes over the long term.

The project was led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and World Resources Institute (WRI), and implemented in collaboration with a global civil society consortium including the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), from August 2021 – December 2022. It was funded by UK AID through the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

How has this project benefitted the Caribbean region?

• Advanced peer-to-peer learning and accountability for LLA, including around access and delivery of finance to the local level

• Strengthened the global LLA Community of Practice, including supporting new members from the Caribbean to meaningfully engage

• Designed collaboratively a new programme of work on LLA up to 2030 to further support scale-up

What did we achieve?

• Lessons learned, best practices and innovations for the design and implementation of LLA and delivery mechanisms for financing LLA documented and shared globally, including for the Caribbean region, through videos, GIS story map, written reports and regional dialogues

• The governance structure for the global LLA Community of Practice reviewed and refined in a bottom-up and participatory way, and new endorsers and members of the community supported to understand the LLA Principles and engage including from the Caribbean

• A methodology on how independent tracking and verification of climate finance flows, including for LLA, drafted to better support 360 degree accountability and transparency

• Global, regional and national processes targeted and influenced to prioritise and support delivery of LLA and local access to finance, including co-design and roll-out of an influencing strategy and series of events at COP27 and COP28

Project news and information

• Interactive storymap: Examples of locally led adaptation experiences across the world
• Long-term strategy for locally led adaptation [EN], [FR], [SP]
• The good climate finance guide for investing in locally led adaptation
• Locally led adaptation: From principles to practice working paper
• Lessons for locally led adaptation: The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund Caribbean Islands Programme
• Sustainable Island Resource Framework (SIRF) Fund: Supporting locally led adaptation in Antigua and Barbuda
• CANARI’s last days at COP28 in Dubai, UAE
• Closing plenary: Development and Climate Days 2023 at COP28 in Dubai, UAE
• Scaling up locally led adaptation: Latin America and Caribbean Regional Dialogue #2
• Scaling up locally led adaptation: Latin America and Caribbean Regional Dialogue #1
• Scaling up locally led adaptation: Case Study on Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) Caribbean Islands Programme

For more information about this project

• Visit https://www.iied.org/principles-for-locally-led-adaptation
• Contact Dr. Ainka Granderson, Resilience Programme Manager, at ainka@canari.org

Related programmes

• Resilience
• Participatory Governance