International and National Mechanisms and Politics of Adaptation

Adaptation as a response to the climate change problem, has come on to the international policy agenda relatively recently and even slower on to the national policy agenda in most developing (and indeed developed) countries. The first countries to develop national adaptation plans of action (NAPAs) were the least developed countries (LDCs) with support from the LDC Fund under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Most of the LDCs have started their respective NAPAs and some have been completed. The experience so far has been just first step in raising awareness and identifying priority actions (in the form of projects) on adaptation amongst stakeholders at a national level. The completed NAPAs have identified a list of priority adaptation projects which the LDCs will seek further funding to implement. The experience with the NAPAs has been quote positive with respect to raising awareness of the climate change issues and identifying adaptation activities. They were meant to be carried out in a multi-stakeholder consultative mode and this was achieved to some extent. While they are a good first step, much more remains to be done to identify adaptation options (specially at policy and planning levels) in most of the LDCs and funding such adaptation activities remains a major bottleneck.