Please find below the following questions and answers related to the NAP Global Network:
A. General information on the Network
i) What is the NAP Global Network?
ii) What are the NAP Global Network’s activities?
iii) When and how was the NAP Global Network established?
iv) Who can participate in the Network’s activities?
v) How does the Network approach the NAP process?
B. The Network’s niche
i) What is the added value of the NAP Global Network?
ii) Why focus on bilateral support?
iii) How will the Network support coordination of bilateral support?
iv) What results does the Network expect to achieve through improved coordination of bilateral support?
v) What is the added value of workshops organized by the NAP Global Network–the “Targeted Topics Forum (TTF)” events?
C. The Network in the context of other NAP-related initiatives
i) How is the NAP Global Network different from other NAP-related initiatives?
ii) How will the Network engage with other NAP-related initiatives?
A. General information on the Network
i) What is the NAP Global Network?
The NAP Global Network is a group of individuals and institutions that are coming together to enhance bilateral support for the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process in developing countries.
ii) What are the NAP Global Network’s activities?
The overall goal of the Network is to enhance bilateral support for NAP processes and adaptation action in developing countries.
In pursuit of this goal, the Network is working on the following activities:
- Peer learning and exchange on the challenges and opportunities associated with national adaptation planning and implementation.
- Supporting national level action on NAP development and implementation.
- Enhancing bilateral support for adaptation and climate-sensitive sectors through donor coordination, with developing countries at the table to ensure that bilateral programs align with the priorities they set out in their NAP processes.
iii) When and how was the NAP Global Network established?
The Network was established in December 2014 by adaptation policy-makers and practitioners from Brazil, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, Malawi, Peru, Philippines, South Africa, Togo, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Germany and the United States provide initial financial support for the Network. The Secretariat based at the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) manages the Network, working closely with a management team including representatives from the Network’s funders. A steering committee comprised of representatives of seven developing countries and four developed countries also provides guidance on the Network’s activities.
iv) Who can participate in the Network’s activities?
Participation in the NAP Global Network is open to all. To date, Network participants mainly consist of decision makers and practitioners from various sectors working on NAP processes in developing countries, as well as representatives of bilateral development partners providing support for adaptation. Participants include those outside of climate and environmental agencies, as well as experts working on NAP processes and civil society representatives involved in NAP processes.
Participation in the Network is on an individual basis. If interested in participating, sign up online, and the Secretariat will contact you with updates on activities and potential opportunities for involvement tailored to your interests and role in relation to NAP processes.
v) How does the Network approach the NAP process?
Keeping in mind the two objectives adopted by the UNFCCC, the NAP Global Network sees the NAP process as an opportunity for countries to lay out a pathway towards achieving robust, sustainable development in the face of climate stress by identifying entry points and priority actions.
The Network follows the principle that the NAP process (and its form) should be driven by each country’s needs. A variety of approaches to developing national adaptation strategies and sector plans are already under way in developing countries: as observed during early Network activities, these fall along a continuum, from stand-alone adaptation plans to national development or sector plans that integrate climate risk management. The appropriate model is the one that best helps the country adapt. Emerging examples of NAP processes are contributing to a clearer picture of what this can look like in practice.
Ultimately, the Network operates on the basis that addressing climate risks and protecting development progress will require integration of climate change adaptation into relevant new and existing policies, programs and activities, and ensuring that these are supported by development partner planning processes and strategies in a coordinated fashion.
B. The Network’s niche
i) What is the added value of the NAP Global Network?
By bringing together bilateral development agencies and in-country actors, the NAP Global Network can help to coordinate and enhance existing adaptation-relevant bilateral support, with developing countries at the table to ensure that this significant source of support aligns with their development priorities. This corresponds with the underlying principles of the NAP process, which is meant to be country-driven, non-prescriptive, and non-duplicative. Specifically, the Network adds value by:
- Focusing on the role and potential of bilateral support. This characteristic is what differentiates us from every other existing NAP-related initiative. More bilateral donors have become active in supporting NAP processes and related support in recent years. While existing NAP-related adaptation networks are mostly engaging multilateral agencies, the NAP Global Network aims to enhance the efforts of bilateral donors in support of NAP processes in developing countries. The Network will develop resources to help bilateral agencies engage in NAP processes in ways that complement domestic and multinational efforts.
- Emphasizing the importance of coordination among donors, and between donors and partner countries. This recognizes that, with more bilateral donors supporting NAP processes, lack of coordination risks duplication of efforts on the ground or missing critical areas/needs that are not being addressed. There are opportunities for these agencies to learn from each other and from partner countries to improve the effectiveness of their assistance through greater collaboration.
- Providing a space for detailed, technical discussions and sustained peer learning on different challenges and best practices related to NAP processes through Targeted Topics Forums, as well as through support for technical exchanges and working groups on emerging topics of interest. By providing a space for in-depth peer learning and exchange, the Network will enable the range of actors relevant to NAP processes—including those outside of climate and environmental agencies—to share lessons from concrete actions on the ground.
ii) Why focus on bilateral support?
- Bilateral official development assistance (ODA) constitutes the majority of adaptation-related development finance. According to OECD data, while multilateral support for adaptation totalled USD 3.3 billion in 2013, bilateral adaptation-related ODA[1] constituted more than three times this amount at USD 11.28 billion. This includes USD 3.36 billion for projects where adaptation was the principal objective and USD 7.76 billion for projects in climate-sensitive sectors where adaptation concerns were addressed as a significant objective.
- Existing bilateral ODA is not meeting its full adaptation potential. More existing bilateral ODA could be leveraged to address adaptation considerations in service of climate-resilient development, especially considering the amount of ODA that goes toward climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, water and health.
- There is limited awareness within and among bilateral agencies on what adaptation means, both in headquarters and at field level, limiting understanding of what the NAP process is and how it is linked to country programming priorities/activities. Participation in Network activities will allow representatives of these agencies to work alongside partner country representatives and to develop shared understandings of adaptation priorities and NAP processes.
[1] By Development Assistance Committee (DAC) members
iii) How will the Network support coordination of bilateral support?
The Network’s donor coordination activities include:
- Acting as a liaison among bilateral development cooperation agencies, responding to requests for information and brokering information exchanges among Network participants to help improve common understanding of the NAP process and vision by providing a help desk function.
- Brokering in-country coordination in countries where multiple bilateral agencies are providing NAP-relevant support. Depending on the specific country context, the level of coordination in a particular country may range from awareness-raising (knowing what others are doing and avoiding duplication) to joint financing/implementation.
- Capturing and disseminating resources on good practices and lessons learned for NAP-relevant support and developing common training materials.
iv) What results does the Network expect to achieve through improved coordination of bilateral support?
Through improved coordination, the Network expects to:
- Improve and expand the reach of bilateral support for climate-resilient development by avoiding duplication of activities supported by different agencies and promoting leveraging of existing ODA to incorporate adaptation considerations in support for climate-sensitive sectors.
- Increase the capacity of bilateral development partners, as well as in-country policy-makers and practitioners in key sectors and constituencies, to contribute to more effective NAP processes that are aligned with country-specific development priorities. By supporting peer learning and discussion on what NAP processes look like in practice, the Network can also help provide a basis for coordinating and aligning bilateral support around national priorities for climate-resilient development.
- Establish an active community of practice within and across countries, through which bilateral and in-country actors develop, share, and learn from good practices and concrete examples of what NAP processes look like. TTFs and other peer-learning activities will also provide a space for discussions on what NAP processes look like in practice, which may serve as a basis for coordinating and aligning bilateral support around national priorities for climate-resilient development.
v) What is the added value of workshops organized by the NAP Global Network–the “Targeted Topics Forum (TTF)” events?
The TTF is a key component of the Network’s efforts to create a community of practice around the NAP process by bringing together developing country policy-makers and practitioners, as well as representatives of development cooperation agencies, who otherwise may not have regular opportunities to interact. They will exchange challenges and best practices related to NAP processes and implementation, resulting in increased institutional and technical capacity in key sectors and constituencies.
Our intention is to be practitioner-oriented. By providing a space for sustained and in-depth peer learning and exchange, the TTFs will enable the range of actors relevant to NAP processes—including those outside of environmental agencies—to share lessons from concrete actions on the ground.
C. The Network in the context of other NAP-related initiatives
i) How is the NAP Global Network different from other NAP-related initiatives?
Various other NAP-related initiatives have different mandates and scopes relative to the NAP Global Network, allowing for complementarity—see the next question for details on these different initiatives and how the Network plans to engage with them. Given the NAP Global Network’s focus on enhancing bilateral support, it can play an important overarching role in connecting bilateral agencies with these other initiatives.
ii) How will the Network engage with other NAP-related initiatives?
- United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Secretariat & Least Developed Countries Experts Group (LEG):
The Network will provide the UNFCCC Secretariat with information on its activities, as appropriate, so that they are aware of the Network and its progress. The NAP Global Network will look for every opportunity to share lessons learned and experiences at UNFCCC-organized events on the NAP process.
Supported by the UNFCCC Secretariat, the LEG provides technical support and advice related to NAPs to least-developed countries (LDCs). The Network will invite members of the LEG to Targeted Topics Forum (TTF) events.
- Adaptation Committee NAP Task Force (AC NAP TF):
The AC NAP TF provides technical support to Parties to the UNFCCC. The NAP Global Network will continue to participate in AC NAP TF, where invited, and will provide updates as needed. In addition, we will encourage participation from AC NAP TF members in relevant TTF events. It will be up to the adaptation committee, including its NAP TF, whether and how to take up and use the information provided through the NAP Global Network.
- Joint UNDP-UNEP NAP Global Support Program (NAP-GSP):
NAP GSP, a joint initiative of United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)/United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), focuses on capacity building and providing some technical support to LDCs. Coordinators of the NAP-GSP will be invited to relevant TTF events and engaged in global donor coordination and/or in-country donor coordination elements, where relevant.
- Global Adaptation Network (GAN) and Other Adaptation Networks:
The GAN is a network of networks and plays a valuable role in facilitating the exchange of knowledge and lessons learned. As it has a relatively broad focus, the NAP Global Network can complement it by cultivating a specific community of practice related to the NAP process and engaging bilateral agencies, as well as by feeding associated results back into GAN activities.
- NAP Expo:
The NAP Expo is a well-established forum for exchanging knowledge on a wide range of issues related to the NAP process. The vision for the TTF is to complement the broad reach and scope of the NAP Expo by providing a space for more focused, technical discussions to take place on selected topics. Every effort will be made to share lessons from Network activities via the Expo.
Additionally, institutions, regional centers and UN agencies will all be involved in NAP Global Network TTFs—as participants and contributors—to ensure mutual awareness and complementarity.