Generating ambition for locally led adaptation

About the project

The world is facing a triple emergency of rising poverty and inequality, climate change, and nature loss. Although many commitments to support the global south in addressing these challenges have been made, evidence indicates that the amount of financial support for developing countries is inadequate, and that, of the money which is spent in developing countries, only an estimated 10% reaches the local level. In addition, it is hard to track finance flows and access to finance remains a challenge. Decisions are often made in donor headquarters, far away from the communities on the ground, and most finance is received by a relatively small number of least developed countries and small island developing states (SIDS).

GA-LLA is a €15 million initiative led by the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) in partnership with nine organisations worldwide, including the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI), working to scale up locally led adaptation strategies and influence the climate finance and policy landscape. Funded by the Government of the Netherlands, the programme runs from 2023 to 2028 across Latin America and the Caribbean, Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, and focuses on strengthening local actors, building trust through partnerships, and ensuring greater accountability in adaptation financing.

The GA-LLA programme is committed to shifting power and decision-making to the communities most affected by climate change, ensuring that adaptation actions are tailored to their specific needs. Built on the eight global Principles for Locally Led Adaptation (LLA), from 2023 to 2028, GA-LLA aims to achieve impact by strengthening local actors to deliver LLA, building trust through radical partnerships, and increasing accountability in adaptation financing.

How will this benefit the Caribbean?

In the Caribbean, GA-LLA will directly benefit communities in Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago by:

• Empowering them to take the lead in adaptation efforts

• Increasing funding access to ensure resources reach those in need

• Enhancing resilience of natural ecosystems through sustainable adaptation practices

• Improving governance and accountability in climate finance decision-making

• Strengthening collaborations among local and global partners

• Promoting knowledge sharing and learning to improve adaptation efforts

What activities are we undertaking?

In alignment with wider programme objectives and in collaboration with partners, CANARI’s work in the Caribbean will focus on four interrelated workstreams:

1. Supporting local actors in implementing adaptation actions: by providing grants, training, and mentoring to LLA champions to enable them to effectively design and implement community-led projects that address climate risks and environmental sustainability; and capturing best practices/models in adaptation financing from the experience.
2. Generating evidence and knowledge to drive scale-up of LLA: by promoting citizen journalism, conducting assessments and research around LLA and how it is applied, and compiling case studies on successes, innovation and best practices.
3. Influencing key finance actors to increase support for LLA – by developing relevant advocacy messages/products, facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues, and engaging in key regional and global influencing opportunities/events.
4. Embedding learning and monitoring in local realities to inform decision-making – through virtual and in-person learning exchanges, and jointly developing a monitoring and evaluation framework, and tracking programme progress.

What have we achieved so far?

Stay tuned for updates

Project news and information

Coming soon

Project related communications

 Press release – CANARI joins global initiative to empower Caribbean communities and drive locally led climate adaptation

For more information about this project

Contact Lehome Johnson, Senior Technical Officer at lehome@canari.org

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