August 2025 - In the lead up to the NAP Expo, the NAP Global Network held a landmark event on adaptation finance: the Adaptation Investment Matchmaking Symposium. Co-organized with the Government of Zambia and UNDP, the Symposium brought together adaptation teams from Zambia, Ethiopia, Malawi and Zimbabwe alongside multiple funders. The aim: to lay the groundwork for more strategic, coordinated and impactful adaptation investments across Southern and Eastern Africa.
A platform to connect priorities and finance
National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) provide countries with a roadmap to climate resilience. But turning those plans into action requires funding – and, critically, stronger connections between those setting priorities and those with resources to invest.
The Symposium was designed to bridge this gap by giving countries a platform to present their most urgent adaptation investment needs and engage directly with funders. By fostering this two-way dialogue, the event sought to accelerate the implementation of NAPs and unlock resources for the communities most vulnerable to climate change.
Ethiopia’s perspective
As a contribution to the Symposium, the Adaptation Accelerator Hub (AAH) – funded by the Italian G7 Presidency and supported technically by UNDP – facilitated the participation of Mr. Zerihun Getu from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Zerihun highlighted that while Ethiopia has taken critical steps like developing its NAP and nominating a national entity to become accredited to the Green Climate Fund (GCF), there is still a substantial shortfall in finance for investment in the country’s adaptation priorities.
This reflects the core aim of the AAH, which is to bridge the gap between the current implementation of climate change adaptation actions and the urgent needs of developing countries most vulnerable to its effects. The representatives of Ethiopia and the other countries present highlighted the need undertake actions like peer learning, capacity building, and enhanced access to data are needed to help to make adaptation projects more viable and attractive to investors.
Linking to the NAP Expo
The AAH also supported another representative from Ethiopia’s Ministry of Planning and Development to attend the NAP Expo, held immediately after the Symposium. Discussions there focused on climate and disaster risk finance, insurance solutions, and strategies to mobilize finance for NAP implementation. These issues are also core to AAH – examining how countries can mobilize innovative sources of finance, beyond grants as a means to accelerate the implementation of NAP.
Moving forward
The Adaptation Investment Matchmaking Symposium underscored the value of creating direct connections between countries and funders, while the NAP Expo broadened the conversation to global strategies for finance mobilization.
Together, the events demonstrated how collaborative platforms can help countries move faster from plans to investments, ensuring that adaptation keeps pace with the accelerating risks of climate change.
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Led by the Government of Italy in alignment with the development objectives of the Mattei Plan for Africa, with UNDP as the partner agency, the Adaptation Accelerator Hub (AAH) supports developing countries – particularly those most vulnerable to climate change – to accelerate climate adaptation, helping translate national priorities into bankable, finance-ready initiatives that can drive systemic, long-term resilience. Learn more.
