Regional
Taxonomy Term List
Advancing Albania’s planning for medium and long-term adaptation through the development of a National Adaptation Planning (NAP) process
This project is designed to help the Government of Albania increase its capacity to address the country’s climate change vulnerabilities by supporting the development of a national plan for climate change adaptation. The support focuses on 1) strengthening the national mandate, strategy and steering mechanism for assessing and addressing capacity gaps (particularly in the priority sectors of tourism, urban development, agriculture, transport, and energy); 2) develop a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Strategy action plan and implementation plan, and 3) develop financing, monitoring and evaluation strategies to ensure that capacities and funding options are institutionalized for the long-term sustainability of adaptation planning beyond the life of the project.
With financing from the Green Climate Fund, the project "Advancing Albania’s planning for medium and long-term adaptation through the development of a National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process" is supporting the Government of Albania to increase its capacity to address the country’s climate change vulnerabilities.
Albania’s primarily rural population is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, where extreme rain events frequently result in destructive flooding, while agricultural livelihoods and drinking water supplies are threatened during dry periods. As temperatures rise, climate scenarios predict increased severity and frequency of these extreme wet and dry conditions, along with decreasing annual rainfall. These changes place Albania’s population at risk and pose a threat among others to the hydropower and tourism industries.
To address these vulnerabilities, the Government of Albania launched its NAP process in February 2015, with the support of GIZ and UNDP, through consultations with national stakeholders and a stocktaking exercise. A preliminary roadmap for the NAP implementation was formulated and validated by representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, as well as stakeholders from the Inter-ministerial Working Group on Climate Change (IMWGCC).
The analytical exercises highlighted the existing weaknesses and demonstrated the prevailing barriers to climate change adaptation (CCA) planning in Albania. The results confirmed that to adequately address climate change vulnerabilities, Albania must overcome information gaps, vulnerability assessments, climate adaptation planning capacity weaknesses, and a lack of awareness of CCA – both at national and sub-national levels. In addition, climate change is not integrated into existing environmental and development policies or their associated budget priorities, and financing appropriations for adaptation are absent.
The underlying challenge lies in the lack of a comprehensive framework for adaptation in Albania. The National Communications provide a preliminary assessment of adaptation priorities, while a national NAP Framework Document was developed as part of the NAP preparation and stocktaking process in 2016. To leverage these preliminary activities towards climate resilience, this readiness effort aims to address the weaknesses and barriers identified in the NAP Framework Document.
In September 2021, Albania submitted its National Adaptation Plan, including a comprehensive financing strategy to the UNFCCC.
The project aims at delivering the following results under the three main outcomes:
- Strengthen legal and institutional framework and mandate for climate change adaptation work at the national level;
- Upgrade stocktaking on climate vulnerabilities, adaptation opportunities and development needs and update vulnerability analyses;
- Address adaptation related capacity gaps at national and subnational levels;
- Establish long-term adaptation capacity development methodologies to ensure ongoing skills development and increased awareness of climate change adaptation;
- Formulate NAP Strategy action plan and the accompanying communications plan;
- Promote CCA integration into existing planning and budgeting and cross-sector coordination;
- Develop NAP implementation plan;
- Establish systems to monitor NAP process and adaptation progress;
- Identify options for securing and scaling up financing for adaptation; develop a financing plan.
Project Updates
After the inception workshop in December 2021, the project, in collaboration with stakeholders, established criteria for selecting up to eight municipalities for climate change adaptation roadmaps and identified priority sectors for analysis. UNDP signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Tirana Polytechnic University and the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO) to foster cooperation.
The project also supported the development of a new legal proposal to update the mission of the IGEO to include CCA, as well as the operational manual for the Interministerial Working Group on Climate Change and a draft reporting format for the National Climate Change Committee (NCCC).
Since 2022, the project team has accelerated project implementation, making significant progress in strengthening the institutional framework and capacities for CCA planning. This involved concluding procurement services to implement activities.
Recent successes include the establishment of the NCCC and the finalization of its Operations Manual, the development of a Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system, and progress on legal acts related to the IGEO. Additionally, work was undertaken on climate and socio-economic data analysis, inventory of adaptation projects, capacity assessment at national and subnational levels, and training programs.
In 2023, various stakeholders were engaged and sensitized on the NAP process. Activities have included refining vulnerability and risk assessments, developing a national database for climate change scenarios and sector vulnerability assessment, compiling a regional climate change scenario report, finalizing the expanded stocktaking report organized by priority sectors, and delivering guidelines and screening tools for gender-sensitive CCA planning.
Outcome 1: Institutional and capacity gaps assessed and addressed.
Outcome 2: NAP Strategy action plan finalized and implementation plan in place.
Outcome 3: Financing strategy and monitoring and evaluation for climate change adaptation in medium – to long-term established
Readiness for the National Adaptation Plan Process in Argentina
The project supported the Government of Argentina in establishing its adaptation planning process. This involved identifying gaps, capacity building, and integrating climate change considerations across national, regional, and local levels. By doing so, the project facilitated the assessment and reduction of vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change by integrating climate change adaptation into the country's development strategies.
The scope of the project included the preparation of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) with a regional and multi-sectoral approach. Additionally, it involved the development of a system to monitor and assess adaptation needs and measures under the Law 27250 Minimum Standards for Adaptation and Mitigation to Climate Change (Ley de Presupuestos Mínimos de Adaptación y Mitigación al Cambio Climático). To achieve the proposed outcomes, the project developed a communication strategy on climate change adaptation, carried out a series of studies to identify adaptation options, and supported inter-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional collaboration within the framework of the National Cabinet on Climate Change (NCCC), the Federal Environment Council (COFEMA), and the National System for Comprehensive Risk Management (SINAGIR).
In recent years, Argentina has made decisive progress in planning and implementing measures to adapt to climate change. The National Communications on Climate Change have made valuable contributions, such as providing information, conducting diagnoses, and identifying various information gaps. Within the framework of the National Climate Change Cabinet (NCCC) work, several sectoral initiatives that are directly or indirectly related to climate change adaptation were identified, as well as other information and capacity needs.
This project, funded by the Green Climate Fund (GCF) NAP Readiness Programme, aimed to deepen this work by supporting National Adaptation Plan (NAP) development. This involved facilitating the evaluation and reduction of vulnerability to the adverse effects of climate change by integrating climate change adaptation into Argentina’s development strategies.
The “Readiness for the National Adaptation Plan Process” project was launched in March 2019 to support Argentina’s efforts to assess and reduce climate change vulnerability by integrating climate change adaptation into the country's sustainable development. To achieve this goal, the project aimed to build adaptive capacity and resilience. It sought to integrate climate change adaptation into both new and existing policies, programmes, activities, and development planning processes and strategies across relevant sectors at different levels.
In particular, the project supported the Government of Argentina to:
1) Establish a national process to coordinate adaptation planning at all relevant scales with a medium and long-term perspective.
2) Identify capacity gaps and strengthen capacities for adaptation planning and implementation, integrating adaptation to climate change into national, provincial, and municipal development planning processes.
3) Support the preparation of the NAP with a regional and multi-sectoral approach in the framework of the National Climate Change Cabinet.
4) Establish a system for monitoring and assessing needs and adaptation measures.
5) Design a communication strategy on adaptation to climate change, focusing on the most vulnerable populations and improving climate information services; and
6) Support inter-sectoral and inter-jurisdictional collaboration within the framework of the National Cabinet on Climate Change.
In most of non-Patagonian Argentina, the average temperature has increased up to half a degree between 1960 and 2010, with smaller increases in the center of the country. These changes have already affected natural and human systems, and according to climate projections, impacts will intensify. More frequent and intense rainfall has resulted in more frequent floods, while dry winter periods have become longer in the west and north of the country. This has adversely affected water availability for some populations, increased the risks of grassland fires, and caused livestock stress.
Argentina has committed to addressing climate change adaptation systematically and inclusively through actions and initiatives articulated in its National Adaptation Plan, its 2016 National Determined Contribution (NDC), and it’s second NDC in 2020. The NDCs and further work implemented within the framework of the National Cabinet on Climate Change detected various information gaps and sectoral initiatives that are directly or indirectly linked to climate change adaptation. The project focused on addressing these identified gaps, including establishing a baseline for the country's adaptation situation and initiating a participatory planning process.
The project goals were achieved through three main outcomes and their corresponding activities.
Outcome 1: Institutional strengthening and coordination for the formulation and implementation of the NAP process
Activities under this outcome focused on initiating the NAP process at the national level under the framework of Law 27250 and focused on strengthening governance and institutional coordination for adaptation planning. This involved developing an appropriate strategy and relevant institutional arrangements and support, such as the formalization of the External Advisory Council through consultation with representatives of civil society organizations, political parties, academia, and Indigenous people, and setting clear groundwork. The strategy outlined clear responsibilities for government ministries and departments, specified milestones and expected outputs of the NAP process, and improved coordination and cooperation mechanisms. The approach included participatory and inclusive approaches with Indigenous communities and others to identify climate risks, impacts, and subsequent mitigation strategies. This extended to the participatory formulation of the National Adaptation Plan and support for provinces in developing Subnational Response Plans. Regulatory support further strengthened the National Climate Change Cabinet, which approved the National Plan for Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.
Outcome 2: Awareness raising and capacity building
This outcome built capacities to reduce vulnerability to climate change and facilitate the integration of adaptation into development. A comprehensive education, awareness, and communication strategy in climate change adaptation was created encompassing various components, such as education, awareness, access to public information, citizen participation, culture, and international cooperation. A national-level social perception study facilitated the elaboration of this strategy and evaluated audience needs and preferences. Moreover, the Climate Risk Maps Platform (SIMARCC) was updated, functioning as an interactive tool that identifies climate change risks by illustrating communities and ecosystems with the highest socio-environmental vulnerability.
Training was conducted to promote the evaluation, planning, and implementation of adaptation measures. Workshops and training sessions strengthened subnational climate teams, equipping officials at that level with the necessary tools for the development of adaptation plans. Furthermore, private sector engagement was catalyzed through the launch of the Climate Action Agreement with the Private Sector. This aimed to facilitate collaboration between public and private sectors to achieve Argentina’s climate commitments through a platform for exchange and continuous training.
Outcome 3: Baseline definition; formulation of NAPs; implementation, monitoring and reviewing
Outcome 3 involved broad climate risk analyses identifying ‘adaptation deficits.’ This included vulnerability assessments at specific planning levels within the national context that can inform impactful adaptation solutions.Various studies were conducted on topics such as transport supply chains, regional economies, social vulnerability, economic impacts of climate change, health, and cultural heritage to facilitate risk analysis and identify adaptation options. The project also supported the elaboration of provincial adaptation plans by hiring individual consultants to strengthen the provincial climate teams. Risks and needs at the regional level were identified following economic loss estimates and sector-specific damage assessments.
In collaboration with provincial teams and civil society, a multi-criteria analysis tool was developed to prioritize adaptation measures within the NAP. Measures were prioritized based on their contribution to short- and long-term sustainable socioeconomic development, costs, effectiveness, and efficiency at national and subnational levels. Additionally, efforts were made to identify existing adaptation initiatives within national government areas. Moreover, a strategy for implementing and monitoring the NAP, involving priority measures, was developed. This included the design of the NAP monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) system.
Outcome 1: Institutional strengthening and coordination for the formulation and implementation of the NAP process.
Outcome 2: Awareness raising and capacity building.
Outcome 3: Baseline definition, formulation of NAPs, implementation, monitoring and reviewing.
Supporting the foundations for sustainable adaptation planning and financing in Morocco
The project's goal is to support Morocco in creating a systematic framework for integrating adaptation needs into development planning. This involves establishing the foundations for sustainable finance and institutional frameworks for adaptation planning at both national and regional levels. Sub-national activities include developing regional adaptation plans for five regions: Souss Massa, Marrakech Safi, Béni Mellal-Khenifra, Draa Tafilalet and Oriental regions.
Given its geographical location, climate, and coastline, Morocco is highly vulnerable to climate change. The projected impacts by 2050 will significantly affect key productive sectors and infrastructures of the Moroccan economy. In 2022, Morocco suffered from a fourth consecutive year of low rainfall, facing a historic drought. With these structural vulnerabilities, the urgency of adaptation to climate change has become significant.
Morocco has undertaken numerous climate change adaptation and risk management projects, addressing specific issues such as water, agriculture, disaster risk, monitoring frameworks, data, and capacity building. However, these efforts have been implemented in isolation and in a fragmented manner, lacking a cohesive and interconnected approach. Moreover, climate change risks and adaptation needs have been excluded from development planning and investment decisions, particularly at the regional level.
Morocco started its national adaptation planning process in 2015 and developed a detailed NAP roadmap. Achieved in 2021, the NAP serves as a comprehensive medium- and long-term adaptation strategy, incorporating key actions and strategic objectives. The formulation of the NAP involved extensive consultations with key stakeholders and received formal endorsement from the Government.
The Moroccan Climate Change Policy and the NDC (updated in 2021) outline sectoral adaptation goals and targets and highlight critical cross-cutting pillars. The project builds upon the progress to date and helps operationalize the NAP, with a specific emphasis on the subnational level, by translating strategic objectives into tangible actions. Moreover, the project aligns with and complements other ongoing initiatives in Morocco related to adaptation and climate risk management.
In addition to the main project implementing partner, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, the project works with partners in government, non-governmental organizations, and the private sector. The project seeks to create a framework for systematically integrating adaptation needs into Morocco's development planning, building upon the existing foundation for climate change adaptation. This framework will enable the implementation of high-impact adaptation measures building on strengthened institutional arrangements for adaptation planning, including strategic coherent planning instruments aligned with national priorities and sustainable sources of adaptation finance.
The project aims to design a framework for systematic integration of adaptation needs into the country’s development planning building upon the existing foundation for climate change adaptation. The expected results are grouped around the three main outcomes and include:
- setting up of coordination and governance structure for adaptation at the national and regional levels;
- strengthening national and regional M&E system;
- improving communication and awareness on adaptation planning;
- mainstreaming gender sensitivity into government’s planning processes;
- assessing climate risks and vulnerabilities for key sectors in three regions;
- identifying adaptation options, assessed and prioritized in the three selected regions;
- elaborating five regional adaptation plans;
- sustainable financing of regional adaptation plans;
- strengthened private sector engagement and investment potential.
Project updates
The project inception workshop was held in March 2022 with the participation of all project stakeholders.
Output 1.1. Regulatory text defining coordination structure and institutions mandate is in place.
A work plan and schedule for national and regional coordination bodies were created and approved, including the development of guidelines for climate information collection and for climate change risk and vulnerability assessments at the regional level for key sectors (water, agriculture, and infrastructure).
Output 1.2. National and regional Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for adaptation developed.
Consultations were undertaken on building the M&E system, involving the development of climate change metrics and indicators linked to existing initiatives in Morocco. Activities have included analyzing existing systems, proposing scenarios for consolidating national platforms (MRV), drafting a guideline for gathering standardized climate information, including loss and damage data and socio-economic and gender-disaggregated data to feed into the M&E system, and assessing improvements for the Regional Information System on Environment and Sustainable Development (SIREDD).
Output 1.3. Communication and awareness to support effective adaptation planning improved.
A communication and awareness strategy was prepared and published in 2023, including the design of an adaptation repository website.
Output 1.4. Gender sensitivity is applied and addressed throughout the project life-span.
Stakeholder consultations were held in 2023, including a stocktaking of existing approaches and identifying good practices for gender integration into the project.
Output 2.1. Climate risks and vulnerabilities assessed in key sectors in 5 regions.
Consultations for mapping existing datasets and metrics were launched in 2023, accompanied by consultations for establishing guidelines and methodologies for regional-level climate change risk and vulnerability assessments in key sectors.
Output 2.2. Adaptation measures identified, assessed, and prioritized in the 5 selected.
Adaptation measures have been identified, assessed, and prioritized in five selected regions (Souss Massa, Marrakech Safi, Béni Mellal-Khenifra, Draa Tafilalet, and Oriental). Consultations related to the elaboration of regional adaptation plans for the pilot regions were held in 2023.
Output 2.3. Five regional adaptation plans formulated and integration with regional development and land-use plans facilitated.
The updated territorial climate plans (PCTs) adaptation chapter for the five pilot regions is being developed, along with a guideline for integrating PCTs into regional development and planning. Two interregional dialogues with the pilot regions are being arranged.
Output 3.1. Sustainable financing of regional adaptation plans strengthened.
Efforts to bolster sustainable financing for regional adaptation plans are in progress through consultations and activities. This includes developing an indicative project pipeline and conducting pre-feasibility studies for key adaptation priorities in each region.
Output 3.2. The private sector is strongly engaged and, its capacity to support adaptation is further enhanced.
At the national level, the House of Representatives of the Kingdom of Morocco adopted on October 18, 2022, framework law No. 03.22 forming the Investment Charter. This framework law aims to "promote private investment” to reach the rate of two-thirds of total investment by 2035, following the recommendations included in the New Development Model. This legislative breakthrough is helping to promote private-sector engagement in adaptation.
A two-day national climate investment forum was held in 2023, targeting financial institutions and private equity funds to discuss opportunities and challenges in private investments for adaptation. An assessment of the status, barriers, and opportunities for private sector investment was also undertaken.
Output 3.3. The private sector´s investment potential in adaptation is further strengthened.
The private sector's investment potential in adaptation is being strengthened through activities such as analyzing the interest, feasibility, and costs for setting up business incubators and organizing an ‘Adaptation Innovation Competition’ to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship. Additionally, an analysis of the national catastrophic risk insurance program through a public-private partnership is being conducted.
Outcome 1: The institutional framework for adaptation planning is strengthened and awareness is enhanced at national and regional levels.
Outcome 2: Regional adaptation plans (Territorial Plans against Global Warming) formulated for five vulnerable regions in Morocco and integration into regional development and land use plans facilitated.
Outcome 3: The foundations for sustainable finance for adaptation are strengthened.
Advancing medium and long-term adaptation planning in the Republic of Serbia
The project builds on Serbia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) commitments to advance medium and long-term adaptation planning in the Republic of Serbia with a National Adaptation Plan (NAP), providing support for iterative improvements to the NDCs under the enhanced transparency framework requirements. The project aims to enable the Government of Serbia to build and strengthen capacities for mainstreaming climate change adaptation, produce actionable climate risk and vulnerability assessments, and implement effective methods, tools and information systems to better inform decision-making on climate risks. Project activities address the main barriers to the integration of climate change adaptation into national, sectorial, and local government planning and budgeting, as well as support the formulation of financing strategies and mechanisms for the scaling up of medium- and long-term adaptation.
The "Advancing medium and long-term adaptation planning in the Republic of Serbia" project aims to increase the country’s capacity to address its climate change vulnerabilities. The project is proposed in two phases and focuses particularly in the areas related to the agriculture-water management nexus, and the sectors of energy infrastructure, transport infrastructure and construction.
Climate change impacts are already evident in Serbia. The IPCC AR5 has identified southeastern Europe, where Serbia is located, among the most vulnerable regions in terms of exposure to the negative effects of climate change. Climate change is expected to have adverse effects on the intensity and frequency of floods and droughts, and on the quality and quantity of yields of major crops. Serbia’s recent history of floods and natural disasters has shown that rural low-income communities are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change due to heightened water insecurity, increased health risks and reduced agricultural productivity.
The project builds on UNDP support to Serbia in February 2017 that resulted in a stocktaking report and a plan of action to advance the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, validated by representatives of key sectors and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The stocktaking exercise highlighted the existing weaknesses and demonstrated the prevailing barriers to climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction planning in Serbia. The results confirmed that to adequately address climate change vulnerabilities, Serbia must overcome its current information gaps, capacity weaknesses, as well as a general lack of awareness of climate change adaptation – both at the national and sub-national levels. The report further identified that climate change is not integrated into existing policies, or their associated budget priorities.
The overall goal of the project is to reduce climate change related risks throughout Serbia by strengthening institutional and technical capacities that support integrated climate change adaptation planning and programming. This will be achieved through three outputs and related sub-outcomes across two phases:
- In the first phase, the emphasis is given to the development and setting up of the national mandate and steering mechanism for long-term climate change adaptation and capacity building for effective development of the NAP implementation strategy. The first phase also focuses on improved management of the adaptation related knowledge and data, addressing institutional capacity gaps and needs in specific sub-sectors and at all levels of governance, establishing a system for effective monitoring and reporting on climate change adaptation measures and actions;
- Building on the results and achievements from the first phase, the second project phase will focus on capacity building for setting up a sustainable financing strategy to support medium- and long-term climate change adaptation. Both project phases will be accompanied by a NAP and adaptation engagement and communications plan and concrete measures at both national and local levels.
In addition to the implementing partner, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, other project partners include the Ministry of Environmental Protection, Ministries in charge of energy, infrastructure and construction, local self-governments, Standing Conference of Towns and Municipalities, Chambers of Commerce, civil society and others.
Project updates
- A draft National Adaptation Plan (NAP) developed;
- Introduction of a bylaw (of Law on Climate Change) that will regulate the implementation of the NAP for the country and the preparation of provincial plans;
- Introduction of an advanced university degree programme on adaptation;
- Priority adaptation interventions in all key sectors identified;
- An interactive/digital climate atlas for Serbia launched;
- “Analysis of available climate and socio-economic information” conducted, establishing the current state-of-play and steps to be undertaken to build and strengthen institutional capacities for climate change adaptation;
- “Institutional capacities for climate change adaptation” report conducted, providing an overview on existing capacities and capacity building needs at the national and local self-government levels;
- “Existing policy, regulatory and institutional framework” report conducted and recommendations on improvement of specific policy and regulatory measures for climate change adaptation prepared;
- Reports on the impacts of climate change on key economic sectors such as agriculture and water management nexus, energy sector, construction and roads infrastructure, forestry and health with recommended adaptation measures;
- Economic assessment of the damage and losses caused by climate change for local self-governments conducted;
- Recommendations for better integration of nature-based solutions into the revised NDCs for Serbia provided;
- Representatives of the line ministries and other authorities participated in trainings, online workshops and consultative meetings on climate change adaptation.
- A series of press workshops held on the topic of climate change in Serbia, involving more than 500 stakeholders, at national and local levels.
Outcome 1: National mandate and steering mechanism in place for long-term climate change adaptation
Outcome 2: NAP implementation strategy developed
Outcome 3: System to monitor progress on adaptation strengthened and financing strategy for medium- and long-term climate change adaptation established.
Webinar: “National adaptation plan (NAP) systematic and risk-shaped response to climate change” (2020)
Održan prvi Dijalog o prilagođavanju Srbije na klimatske promene (2021)
The first workshop for journalists on the topic of climate change in Serbia (2021)
Continuation of training on the topic of adaptation to climate change within the NAP project (2021)
The third training in a row on the topic of adaptation to climate change within the NAP project (2021)
SCALA Argentina
Argentina is considered a high-income economy with a GDP of US$600 billion in 2016 and a population of over 44 million. In the last decades, the country has experienced marked growth in its agriculture and food sectors, accounting to 54 percent of its land use, and playing a strategic role in the socio-economic development of the country, with 54 percent of employment. Agriculture and animal husbandry and fragile ecosystems are also especially vulnerable to the intensification of extreme climate events, affecting the production and supply of food on a national and global scale. The country is considered a top emitter for agriculture, forestry and other land use sectors, contributing to 2.1 percent of the global emissions, and with domestic emissions made up of livestock (21.6 percent); agriculture (5.8 percent) and land-use change and forestry (9.8 percent).
Argentina’s agriculture is highly innovative and has much to offer in terms of win-win climate actions. It has great potential to scale up actions and production processes that will simultaneously cut mitigate emissions and enhance resilience to improve productivity. Argentina is one of the 100 countries being supported by UNDP’s Climate Promise to enhance their NDCs. The country is also part of FAO’s Sub-Regional Project on "Low Emission Livestock, a contribution to the Sustainable Development of the Sector in South America”, and many other projects related to climate management.
The government of Argentina considers the SCALA programme as strong support for the revision of its NAP in the agricultural sector, and to carry out actions that allow the implementation and achievement of the commitments established in the country’s NDC. The programme will leverage participatory methods to address Argentina’s institutional and financial barriers, which allow for a transformative shift in the agriculture and land use sectors. Moreover, to engage and mobilize the private sector to increase its investments in climate action. With the SCALA programme supporting Argentina over the next five years, UNDP and FAO will strive to foster a more inclusive multi-stakeholder process that eventually meets the needs of smallholder farmers, rural communities, women, and youth, who are the most vulnerable to climate change.
In 2016, Argentina submitted its nationally determined contribution (NDC) that identified several agriculture-related priorities. Argentina has prioritized the development of adaptative capacities and the promotion of agriculture’s strategic role as a solution to climate change. In 2020, the country signed the new United Nations Strategic Cooperation Framework (2021-2025) and confirmed its interest to push forward the agenda that seeks to enhance ambition and catalyze action for land-use and agriculture. Argentina submitted its second NDC in December 2020, ratifying a more ambitious commitment to the Paris Agreement and providing a specific and broader role to adaptation, with the national goal of decreasing 19 percent of its total GHG emissions by 2030. The country has committed to elaborate its Long-Term Climate Strategy by the end of 2021.
The key priorities communicated for the agriculture and land-use sector focus mainly on prioritization of adaptation, strengthening the role of agribusiness as a source of solutions to climate change, integrating agro-industrial production and encouraging the development of process and product technologies. To support the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process, Argentina is implementing the Readiness Project for the NAP Process, financed by the Green Climate Fund and implemented by UNDP.
Along with these actions, the country aims to strengths the implementation of Minimum Budgets for the Environmental Protection of Native Forests, as well as achieve a substantial reduction in the deforestation rate. To support this goal the country implements the National Forest Management Plan with Integrated Livestock (MBGI), the Forest Watershed Plans and Comprehensive Community Plans (PIC), and the national forest extension system and the Deforestation Early Warning System (SAT). By 2030, the country also expects to deepen the development of fire, flood, and drought prevention measures - of great importance for the agricultural, livestock and forestry sectors.
SCALA Costa Rica
Costa Rica is in Central America and has a varied topography that includes coastal plains separated by rugged mountains, including over 100 volcanic cones and inhabits around 5 percent of the planet’s biodiversity. Costa Rica is among global leaders in responding to climate change, with a long history of environmental protection, sustainable development, and action on climate change mitigation. Costa Rica’s vulnerability to extreme climate events and natural hazards is a result of the presence of populations in areas prone to volcanic eruptions and unstable lands, degraded by wide-spread cattle ranching, or in poorly planned settlements prone to landslides and flooding. A total of 36 percent of Costa Rica’s land use is attributed to agriculture, and it accounts for 14 percent of the country’s employment.
Reports
The SCALA programme can contribute to strengthening market access for products developed through low-carbon value chains to help increase the capital flow to communities (at the farm level) that adopt technologies and help contribute to scaling up climate action. The SCALA programme will support Costa Rica in transforming how the agriculture and land use sectors operate and incorporating adaptation and mitigation measures. In addition to the support on soil management practices, SCALA in Cosa Rica will support the resilience of family farmers to cope with pathogens, so they have the resources to invest in sustainable low-carbon practices. The country is currently developing a road map for its National Adaptation Plan and aims to strengthen conservation initiatives and expand its environmental services payments program to include ecosystem-based adaptation. Costa Rica continues to promote renewable energies, stronger environmental management practices through agroforestry systems and watershed management, as well as tools for municipal-level land use planning to reduce the long-term vulnerabilities of its population and enhance its food security.
Project videos
Female herders of Costa Rica: towards gender-sensitive climate action (2023)
Combating climate change in Costa Rica's livestock sector (2023)
Disponible en Español.
Costa Rica prioritizes transformative climate practices in its agri-food chains
22 October 2021 - To learn more about how Costa Rica is scaling up its climate ambition in land use and agriculture to meet the targets of its NDC and related climate strategies, the SCALA programme sat down with the Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, Mr. Renato Alvarado to unpack the opportunities and challenges in this process as part of a new interview series.
Costa Rica’s National Climate Change Adaptation Policy (2018-2030), states the priorities with respect to agricultural sustainable production, namely the 1) promotion of adaptation based on ecosystems outside the State's natural heritage, through the conservation of biodiversity in biological corridors, private reserves and farms under forest regime 2) promotion of water security in the face of climate change, through the protection and monitoring of sources and proper management of hydrological basins. The National Development Plan (2019-2022) reaffirmed the ambitious goal to promote a carbon neutral economy by 2021 and laid out strategies to promote renewable energy, reduce GHG emissions, and consider adaptation initiatives.
In 2016, Costa Rica submitted its first NDC. Costa Rica’s National Climate Change Adaptation Policy (2018-2030), as well as the National Decarbonization Plan (2018-2050) and the NAMA coffee, NAMA livestock, NAMA sugarcane and NAMA Musaceae (banana), reflect some of the country’s key agri-food chains, which are livestock, coffee, rice, Musaceae and cane sugar. The country’s NDC aims to consolidate an agricultural model that is based on sound approaches in existing policies and strategies. To date, the country has developed a National Low Carbon Livestock Strategy, a National Low-emission Coffee Strategy, and the Low Carbon Banana Strategy, which focus on reducing risks and vulnerabilities in these value chains.
SCALA Cote D'Ivoire
Côte d’Ivoire is located in West Africa along the Gulf of Guinea with the Atlantic running along its southern coast. As one of the world’s top exporters of cocoa, palm oil, banana and cashews and with two-third of the actively working population is percent employed by the agriculture sectors, Côte d’Ivoire is vulnerable to variations in weather and climate, as well as external shocks in its export trade. Côte d’Ivoire has the second largest economy in West Africa. High rainfall in the south fuels a fertile agricultural industry, which contributes to 27 percent of country’s GDP. A heavy economic reliance on agriculture, in addition to continued environmental degradation, rising temperature, prolonged dry season and deforestation all contribute to the country’s vulnerability to climate change. In addition, agriculture contributes 12 percent of total GHG emissions with livestock contributing the largest proportion (63 percent).
To support the country in implementing these plans, the SCALA programme partnered with Côte d'Ivoire for the next four years. The SCALA programme will help Côte d'Ivoire accelerate the implementation of its NAP and pursue action to achieve the commitments outlined in its forthcoming NDC. The programme will work with government stakeholders to overcome barriers at the institutional, technical, and financial levels to support a transformative shift in the agriculture and land use sectors. Through the SCALA programme, FAO and UNDP will strive to create an inclusive multi-stakeholder process between institutions and partners in Côte d'Ivoire that will help fill gaps, improve capacities and reach the country’s climate targets.
Côte d’Ivoire ratified the Paris Agreement in 2016 and submitted their first NDC the same year. The NDC intends to reconcile development and reduction of GHG emissions. Due to the country’s vulnerability to climate change impacts, especially in the key agricultural exports sector, adaptation is also a priority.
The revision of the NDC is ongoing, and the NAP process has been underway in Côte d’Ivoire since 2015. The adaptation planning is crucial in 11 identified priority sectors that are most vulnerable to climate change, including agriculture, fisheries, forestry, land use and gender as a cross-cutting theme. The second generation National Agricultural Investment Program 2017-2025 aims to increase added value of agricultural products; strengthen agricultural production systems that are respectful of the environment; and promote inclusive growth.
Along with the ongoing NDC submission, Côte d'Ivoire has several climate plans and policies in place, such as the National Strategy for Climate-Smart Agriculture 2018-25, National Strategic Plan for the Development of Livestock, Fisheries and Aquaculture 2014-20 and National Strategy for Forest Conservation, Rehabilitation and Extension, to build resilience and reduce GHG across key sectors.
SCALA Egypt
The Arab Republic of Egypt is a developing country in Northern Africa. This terrain consists of a vast desert plateau that has a fresh water renewable resource - the River Nile and its Nile Valley and Delta. Most of Egypt’s population and infrastructure are concentrated in the Nile Delta and along the Mediterranean coast, which makes the country vulnerable to the impacts of sea level rise, particularly inundation and saltwater intrusion. About 15 percent of the most fertile arable land in the Nile Delta is already negatively affected by sea level rise and saltwater intrusion. With this negative impact, climate change studies predict a reduction in productivity of two major crops in Egypt - wheat and maize – by 15 percent and 19 percent, respectively, by 2050. Nevertheless, agriculture is the biggest employer involving over 31.2 percent of the total population. The agriculture sector contributed 14 percent to the GDP in 2009 and contributes 10 percent of the country's total GHG emissions.
Reports and Publications of relevance to Country Teams
The Ministry of Environment and the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency has officially approved and cleared the implementation the SCALA programme in Egypt. A background desk review of relevant climate change plans and documents has been undertaken, as well as a baseline report has been produced. This will be further informed by the stocktaking and climate action review exercise for the identification and validation of climate actions with transformative potential in the AFOLU sectors.
Through initial consultations with the Ministry of Environment and Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation, it has been recommended that the SCALA programme supports the NAP development process under the recently launched GCF-NAP Readiness project. SCALA deliverables therefore will be designed to serve as inputs to the NAP project through which Egypt’s overall NAP will be developed. Contributions will mostly be towards evidence generation through climate risk and vulnerability assessments, innovative climate research on water management and irrigation adaption measures, capacity needs assessment reports on disaster risk reduction and early warning mechanisms in AFOLU sectors, and environmental impact assessments of land use plans.
By supporting the preparation of National Adaption Plan Framework, which will target to address the mitigation and adaptation barriers, the SCALA programme in Egypt will contribute to the country’s long-term goal of decreasing climate vulnerability and building climate resilience of AFOLU sectors. By establishing a framework for improving institutional and technical capacity for climate change adaptation planning it will help the country enhance climate action needed by 2030. The programme will support assessments of climate risks and vulnerabilities, determining climate change mitigation and adaptation priorities, and integrating climate change mitigation and adaptation into national and sectoral planning and budgeting.
In 2011, a National Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change and Disaster Risk Reduction was released. This strategy lays out the path to overcome the challenges raised by climate change and estimates the investment required to reach its strategic goals. Egypt ratified the Paris Agreement in June 2017 and submitted their nationally determined contribution (NDC), which focuses on the sustainability of agriculture, the environment, water resources, energy, and land management as priority areas.
Egypt’s NDC pledges to reduce its GHG emissions; particularly reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent from the baseline emissions level of 250MtCO2 emissions by 2030. Each sector of the economy has set mitigation targets; particularly for the agriculture, forest, and other land-use sectors, the mitigation targets include recycling agricultural waste and manure and the implementation of a national MRV system. Additionally, the NDC outlines Adaptation Action Packages with specific adaptation goals for the most vulnerable sectors, including agriculture. Such adaptation actions include building an effective institutional system to manage climate change associated crises and disasters at the national level.
UNDP office in Egypt is implementing a Green Climate Fund (GCF)-financed National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Readiness project aiming to formulate and advance Egypt’s National Adaptation Plans Process. This NAP process targets to build/enhance climate resilience in all the sectors of the economy by improving institutional and technical capacity for climate change adaptation (CCA) planning, examining climate risks, determining CCA priorities, integrating CCA into national and sectoral planning and budgeting, and increasing investment in adaptation actions. This NAP process also targets to identify private sector actors with potential to invest in climate change actions. Already there is a large and fast-growing small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) sector and a large domestic market.
SCALA Ethiopia
Ethiopia is a landlocked country in Northeast Africa and has a population of over 112 million people. Its agriculture sector plays a major role in the national economy, contributing to 34.5 percent of GDP in 2020. Smallholder farming accounts for approximately 95 percent of agricultural production and 85 percent of total employment. In Ethiopia, agriculture and land-use are high GHG emitting sectors with around 80 percent of domestic emissions. Ethiopia’s agriculture sector is extremely vulnerable to climate change due to its high dependence on natural resources, and relatively low adaptive capacity – especially in rural areas – to deal with frequently experienced extreme events and longer-term variability, including droughts and floods, rainfall variability and pest invasions.
Reports and Publications by country teams
The Government of Ethiopia aims to proactively pursue further integration of climate change adaptation in its development policies and strategies, including macroeconomic and sectoral policies at regional and local levels. In support of this target, the SCALA programme will leverage participatory methods to address Ethiopia’s institutional and financial barriers to mainstream climate change at all administrative levels, to allow for a transformative shift in their agriculture and land use sectors. Building on the capacity gaps identified in scoping exercises, the programme will seek to enhance institutional capacities of the country to support the management of climate budget tagging systems, to undertake climate finance and resource mobilization, and to engage and mobilize the private sector to increase its investments in climate action. It also intends to develop stronger knowledge and information sharing platforms for bridging the gap between national, regional and woreda level governance mechanisms. Additionally, the implementation of SCALA programme will support the establishment of enabling environment and de-risking instruments to engage and incentivize private sector investments in climate actions.
The expectation of undertaking such activities is that they will help the country accelerate its NDC and NAP implementation. With the SCALA programme supporting Ethiopia over the next five years, UNDP and FAO will strive to foster a more inclusive, multi-stakeholder process that meets the needs of smallholder farmers, rural communities, women, and youth, who are the most vulnerable to climate change.
The Government of Ethiopia submitted its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2016, and formally submitted an updated NDC in July 2021. The updated NDC builds on, and is in line with, the country’s development goals as laid out in its Growth and Transformation Plan II, its Climate Resilient Green Economy (CRGE) Strategy, the emerging Long-Term Low Emission Development Strategy, the Green Legacy Initiative, and Ethiopia’s 10-year Development Plan. The bulk of Ethiopia’s NDC adaptation commitments are focused on the agriculture and land use sectors, with priority areas including livestock diversification, drought-resistant animal breeding, rangeland management, crop, and livestock insurance. Ethiopia formulated its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in 2017, along with a NAP Implementation Roadmap that further categorized the short-term adaptation priorities (such as capacity building, strengthening the enabling environment and promoting research), as well as long-term sector-specific priorities.
In its final National Adaptation Plan (NAP-ETH, 2019), Ethiopia prioritized adaptation in the sectors considered most vulnerable to climate change, namely: agriculture, forestry, health, transport, energy, industry, water and urban. Within these sectors, 18 adaptation options are identified for implementation at all administrative levels, recognizing the considerable diversity in context and vulnerability across Ethiopia’s regions and social groups. Ethiopia is working to integrate climate information into planning and decision-making for development interventions, and prioritizing climate resilience across policies to improve the adaptive capacity at national/federal, regional and Woreda levels. The plan is guided by the principles of participation, coherent interventions, stakeholder empowerment, gender sensitivity, equitable implementation, and partnership, especially with the private sector.
SCALA Senegal
Located in West Africa, Senegal has a steadily growing economy over recent years. However, poverty in Senegal is still prevalent in rural areas, where roughly 60 percent of the population resides. The other 40 percent of the population resides in urban areas, where the majority live in rapidly growing urban suburbs. Low agricultural production, limited capacity of the economy to create sustainable jobs, and inadequate resource allocation for social services contribute to poverty. While the agriculture, livestock and fishery sectors are contributing to food and nutrition security and representing 60 percent of the Senegalese rural labor force, these sectors are vulnerable to several climate-related impacts, such as drought, locust invasion, flooding, sea-level rise, coastal erosion and related health epidemics, as well as bush fires.
Reports and Publications of relevance to Country Teams
Senegal has a strong motivation to enhance its climate strategies and create more sustainable production patterns and food systems. The country plans to achieve its climate objectives in terms of land use and agriculture through the transformation of agri-food systems. The systemic approach adopted by the SCALA programme with all stakeholders constitutes an innovative approach to overcome obstacles and help define actionable priorities. Through fostering stakeholder commitments, to build institutional, financial and technical capacities and foster transformation actions such as agroecology, improving crop varieties, agroforestry and the importance of operationalizing the concept of agripreneur, the SCALA programme will further support the government of Senegal in accessing sustainable solutions, by considering cross-cutting issues and promoting synergies between ongoing initiatives.
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Strengthening transformative approaches in Senegal’s climate action plans
6 November 2021 - The programme was officially launched during a two-day inception workshop in September 2021, where key stakeholders discussed SCALA’s activities and objectives to be implemented over the next four years. The discussion centered on the agroecological solutions (such as composting), improving crop varieties, agroforestry and the importance of operationalizing the concept of “agripreneur”. To learn more about the national priorities discussed, the SCALA programme sat down with two technical advisers from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Equipment, Mr. Boubacar Drame and Mr. Younoussa Mballo, to unpack the opportunities and objectives of the programme.
This report captures the participatory mapping of actors in the millet/groundnut and market gardening system and identification of challenges and barriers preventing an environment favorable to agroecological transformation in Senegal.
Senegal developed a National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA) in 2006 and submitted an INDC in 2015, which outlined the country’s plans for mitigation and adaptation. The NDC was recently revised and submitted ahead of COP26 in 2021, while sectoral NAPs are currently under development. The Plan for an Emerging Senegal (Plan Sénégal Emergent) reflects the strong political will for development based on more sustainable production patterns and food systems. Since 2019, various actors involved in agroecology in Senegal have come together under the DyTAES (Dynamique pour une Transition AgroEcologique au Sénégal) framework to contribute to the reflections of the Senegalese government to build an agroecological transition policy.
In Senegal, the agriculture sector represents 36 percent of its GHG emissions followed by land use change and forestry (22 percent). As communicated in the NDC, the emissions from the agriculture sector will increase gradually and steadily, until 2030. Henceforth, to reduce emissions, Senegal will first create synergies between local community stakeholders and the private sector to reinforce acquired knowledge and build on good practices in terms of mitigation and adaptation to scale up action.
Strongly threatened by climate change, Senegal aims to enhance adaptation and mitigation measures in the agriculture, livestock, fisheries and forestry sectors. Particularly in the crop production sector, the mitigation priorities are focused on the Intensive Rice Cultivation System, composting and assisted natural regeneration. Regarding adaptation priorities, the country will focus on vulnerable ecosystems and will work with vulnerable populations to increase their resilience to climate change impacts. Senegal will concentrate on promoting agriculture-livestock-agroforestry production systems, sustainable land management, use of adapted varieties, agriculture insurance, generic improve of species and animal health, promote sustainable aquaculture and restoration of mangroves field.