New Guidance on Vertical Integration in NAP Processes Launched at COP22

by Anika Terton

On the sidelines of COP 22 on November 8th, the National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network held a mini-side event to launch a new guidance note on vertical integration in NAP processes, featuring speakers from Colombia and Cambodia.

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From left: Hayley Price-Kelly (IISD); Angie Dazé (IISD); Mariana Rojas Laserna (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia); Fakri Karim (LoCAL, UNCDF)


Hayley Price-Kelly (IISD)
 gave an overview of the NAP Global Network and its overarching goals before introducing Angie Dazé (IISD) who provided an overview of the guidance note. The note aims to provide flexible guidance for country teams to strengthen vertical integration in NAP processes. In the context of the NAP process, vertical integration is the process of creating intentional and strategic linkages between national and sub-national adaptation planning, implementation and monitoring and evaluation (M&E). The guidance note presents the key issues for vertical integration throughout these different dimensions of the NAP process, including questions for consideration and practical examples.  It also covers the enabling factors for vertical integration: institutional arrangements, information sharing and capacity development.


Mariana Rojas Laserna (Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development, Colombia)
discussed the institutional arrangements within Colombia and the approach that the country has taken through regional nodes that act as a platform for dialogue and coordination in order to promote actions and plans on climate change at sub-national levels. She outlined the importance of empowering local governments to develop and implement climate change actions, permanent guidance and support that needs to be provided by the central government as well as recognizing the regional, cultural and institutional differences at the local level that must be taken into account in defining priorities and needs.

Fakri Karim (LoCAL, UNCDF) explained how The Local Climate Adaptive Living Facility (LoCAL) of the UN Capital Development Fund serves as a mechanism to integrate climate change adaption into local governments’ planning and budgeting systems in Cambodia. The program provides additional finance through grants to local government for climate change adaptation. These grants are performance-based climate resilient grants. Their performance is appraised in terms of the degree to which additional resources have been used to build resilience and promote adaptation to climate change within the local government. These grants provide local authorities with additional funding and opportunities to deal with the challenges of climate-proofing development through their own planning and budgeting systems and facilitates mainstreaming of adaptation into local development plans.

Any opinions stated in this blog post are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the policies or opinions of the NAP Global Network, its funders, or Network participants.

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