Objectives

The following five outcomes will contribute to the achievement of the overall programme:

1. Dynamic and long-term planning mechanisms introduced to cope with the inherent uncertainties of climate change nationally;
2. Leadership and institutional frameworks built to manage climate change risks and opportunities in an integrated manner locally and nationally;
3. Climate-resilient policies and measures implemented in priority sectors;
4. Financing options expanded to meet national adaptation costs; and
5. Shared knowledge on adjusting national development processes to incorporate climate change risks/opportunities.

Outcome 1.  Dynamic and long-term planning mechanisms introduced to cope with the inherent uncertainties of climate change nationally

UNDP will support country capacity with dynamic and long-term planning tools that can be used to identify and assess cost-effective options when considering changes in climate conditions. Prospective exercises will be undertaken to enable countries to combine infrastructure investments with soft adaptation strategies.

Outcome 2.   Leadership and institutional frameworks built to manage climate change risks and opportunities in an integrated manner locally and nationally

UNDP will advise on establishing/strengthening national bodies to manage climate change risks in an integrated manner. Such bodies need to have cross-cutting mandates, strong political support, clear roles and responsibilities, technically proficient staff, and adequate resources. Countries will develop ways to connect the mandate of central ministries (such as planning and finance) to sector-specific ministries (such as agriculture, water, or disaster) to address climate change.

Outcome 3.   Climate-resilient policies and measures implemented in priority sectors

UNDP will provide assistance to key ministries and public administration bodies affected by climate change to explore and design appropriate policy responses on a particular climate-development question (e.g., water and energy, coastal zone development, agriculture, etc). Countries will build on the results of existing processes, such as the National Communications and NAPAs. Functional and technical capacities will be developed to foster transformational changes, particularly by targeting influential stakeholders with potential to become “climate change champions.”

Outcome 4.   Financing options expanded to meet national adaptation costs

The programme will develop appropriate financing mechanisms to support adaptation over the long-run, thereby sustaining the institutional frameworks and capacities targeted in other outcomes. Economies of scale will be required to encourage investment in multi-sectoral approaches, policies and programmes. Financing options will therefore be expanded and/or realigned from current practices to meet national adaptation costs and to complement resources emerging through donor assistance programmes and other channels. Capacities to design and implement financing options will also be developed.

Outcome 5.   Shared knowledge on adjusting national development processes to incorporate climate change risks/opportunities

The programme is an opportunity to demonstrate how to implement comprehensive and integrated approaches to adaptation at the national level. The documenting and sharing of experiences and lessons learned is therefore a critical element. A dedicated knowledge management system, the Adaptation Learning Mechanism, will be used to encourage knowledge sharing and dissemination of results through local, national, regional, and global fora and networks.