Time: TBC
NAP Expo venue: Lusaka, Zambia (in-person)
This Symposium is organized by the NAP Global Network, through funding from the Government of Canada, and in collaboration with UNDP. The Symposium will convene representatives from the teams leading processes in Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and Ethiopia, to present their adaptation priorities requiring investment to funders active in Sub Saharan Africa.
Context on adaptation investment planning
As the effects of climate change become more evident, the need for countries to efficiently mobilize finance for adaptation is increasing. The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) aims for significant progress of Parties in implementing their adaptation priorities, but a large implementation shortfall remains. Furthermore, despite the new climate finance targets, the global adaptation funding gap is still substantial, and it is crucial for countries to mobilize a diverse array of funding sources, including domestic, international, public, and private sources, and financial instruments, to accelerate the implementation of their adaptation priorities.
Financing adaptation is challenging due to uncertainties associated with future climate risks, difficulties in measuring the return on investment of adaptation options, limited funding availability—which often forces adaptation to compete with other development priorities—and the lack of a coordinated, programmatic approach to accessing adaptation finance, with ad hoc, project-based approaches being the norm.
Additionally, countries have different capacities to expand their domestic resource mobilization for climate change adaptation, mobilize public international adaptation finance, and engage the private sector in adaptation investments. A structured approach is needed to unlock these financial resources and accelerate the transition towards implementing the countries’ adaptation priorities, and climate change adaptation investment planning provides this approach.
Objectives
The objectives of Symposium will be:
To provide an overview of adaptation priorities identified through each country’s National Adaptation Plan process that require funding in the short term.
To allow funder agencies to present their current and future adaptation programming and priorities in Sub-Saharan Africa and in individual countries.
To identify concrete opportunities for funder investments to implement the adaptation priorities of participating countries, focusing on mature, investment-ready adaptation options.
To promote funder coordination on climate change adaptation programming and NAP support in the region.
Symposium format
The Symposium will be organized with support from the NAP Global Network Secretariat combining:
Technical inputs from NAP teams from participating countries that present adaptation priorities and from funders that share their available programming.
Interactive opportunities for adaptation decision makers and funders to match priorities with available funding and for funders to better coordinate their support.
Reflexive activities to identify next steps for collaboration following the Symposium.
The Symposium will commence with welcoming remarks from Zambia, followed by a presentation of the session's objectives and the symposium agenda by the NAP GN. Subsequently, a plenary presentation will take place, during which donor representatives will outline their strategic priorities for investing in adaptation within the region and in individual countries.
Following the plenary, we will transition to the "Adaptation Finance Marketplace Activity." In this interactive segment, countries will set up stations to showcase their national adaptation priorities and finance needs. Donors, organized into small groups, will circulate the room, engaging directly with representatives to discuss potential opportunities for support. This interactive format is designed to facilitate exchange and provide a dynamic alternative to a long series of presentations.
The symposium will conclude with a country plenary session. During this session, countries will identify potential synergies and initiate discussions on potential joint or programmatic proposals covering the three countries. Concrete next steps will be outlined to ensure actionable outcomes from the discussions.
The NAP Global Network team will be assisting with the setup and facilitating discussions.