Investigating procedural and distributive equity in decentralised adaptation finance

Despite the goal to double adaptation finance by 2025, concerns are growing that the benefits of funding are failing to reach the communities that need it most. Additionally, negotiations on a post-2025 climate finance goal under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have focused not only on quantity but also the quality of finance, including which access modalities enable equitable and effective adaptation. A key question is: are our funding mechanisms and processes reaching and benefiting the most vulnerable communities?

About the Project

The research project, “Investigating Procedural and Distributive Equity in Decentralized Adaptation Finance”, is focused on the first two pilot projects in the Caribbean and Namibia under the Green Climate Fund’s Enhanced Direct Access (EDA) programme. The decentralised model of adaptation finance under the EDA is designed to devolve greater decision-making authority than traditional models to national and local organisations and actors, with the aim of improving the equity of climate finance by ensuring funding reaches vulnerable communities to enable locally led adaptation action. This research is being led by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in partnership with the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) and the University of Namibia from 2023-2025. It is funded by the Swedish Research Council for Sustainable Development (FORMAS) under grant agreement #:FR-2022/0006.

How will this project benefit the Caribbean region?

• This research will provide a preliminary indication of whether, and how, the Green Climate Fund’s EDA pilot programme enables a broader and more equitable allocation of finance to vulnerable communities. These findings can inform the Green Climate Fund’s and other multilateral and bilateral funds’ decisions on how to improve the design and approach to EDA modalities with plans to expand the model.

• This research will also inform ongoing discussions on how to improve the quality of adaptation finance to vulnerable countries and communities.

What are we working to achieve?

The objectives of this research project are:

• To assess Procedural Equity: Testing whether the EDA model promotes greater procedural equity as compared to traditional models in the Caribbean and Namibia using an existing framework.

• To develop a Distributive Equity Framework: Creating a new framework to define and measure distributive equity across regional, national and sub-national levels.

• To assess Distributive Equity: Testing whether the EDA model enables greater distributive equity in the Caribbean and Namibia.

What activities are we undertaking?

• Desk review to understand the national context and synthesise information on the design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of the two Green Climate Fund EDA pilot projects in the Caribbean and Namibia. In the Caribbean, the focus is on the “Integrated physical adaptation and community resilience through an EDA pilot in the public, private and civil society sector of three Eastern Caribbean SIDS” project in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and Grenada.

• Data collection including:
  1. 1. Key informant interviews with project stakeholders, including government agencies, technical partners and project beneficiaries, to gather insights on the implementation and impact of the EDA pilot projects in the Caribbean (Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Grenada) and Namibia.
     2. Community focus groups with selected project beneficiaries under the EDA pilot projects in Antigua and Barbuda and Namibia to gather specific inputs from those directly receiving grants.
     3. National workshops with key project stakeholders and other organisations working on climate adaptation, resilience building and finance in Antigua and Barbuda and Namibia to validate findings from desk review and interviews and gather additional inputs

• Analysis and documentation of findings, lessons and policy recommendations in journal articles and policy briefs

Recent project news and information

 Coming soon.

Project-related communications

 Coming soon.

More information about this project

Contact Dr. Ainka Granderson, Resilience Programme Manager, at ainka@canari.org

Related programmes

• Equity and Justice
• Resilience