From 9–11 September 2025, Cape Town hosted the UNDP–AFCIA Global Closure Workshop, a milestone event marking the (almost) culmination of five years of work under the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA). The gathering brought together 44 organizations from 33 countries, alongside representatives from UNDP, the Adaptation Fund, leading universities like Oxford, Yale and University of Cape Town, investors, philanthropies and partners such as the Global Resilience Partnership.
The workshop celebrated achievements while creating space to reflect on lessons learned and explore pathways for scaling local innovation in climate adaptation.
Celebrating impact
Since its launch, AFCIA has supported 44 organizations with USD 8.3 million in grants and an additional USD 6 million in technical assistance and capacity building. These resources have enabled grantees to reach 2.6 million people—54 percent of them women—restore or protect 29,000 hectares of land, generate 1,300 green jobs, improve the livelihoods of over 21,700 households and improve productivity related skills for 47,132 individuals. UNDP-AFCIA grantees have also reported to date, to have collectively unlocked additional $4,087,000 in financial resources to a great extend thanks to their participation in the programme.
Beyond numbers, the programme has demonstrated how flexible, accessible funding allows local actors to innovate, scale solutions and connect with global partners. AFCIA grantees have piloted new approaches, built markets, developed revenue-generating models and amplified Indigenous knowledge, showing the diversity of pathways for locally led adaptation.
Highlights from the workshop
The three-day event combined dialogue, storytelling and peer learning:
- Investment and scaling. Following an opening ceremony and keynote panel setting the global and local scene on investments and resilience, an investors panel explored new approaches to adaptation finance, while the pitch tank showcased eight local entrepreneurs to climate investors. The eight grantees received meaningful questions and constructive feedback to further continue refining the pitches of their innovative solutions.
- Grantee experiences. Inspirational stories highlighted local leadership, while sessions on partnerships for scaling and skill circles on digital innovation and policy advocacy offered practical lessons. The day closed with thematic networking tables where grantees exchanged knowledge and lessons learned.
- Impact and reflection. The upcoming launch of the AFCIA Impact Report presented both data and stories from the programme. A communications showcase emphasized the importance of storytelling in scaling adaptation. Participants then shared insights on their scaling journeys before the workshop closed with a panel celebrating achievements and looking ahead.
Looking forward
The workshop reinforced a central lesson of UNDP-AFCIA: locally led innovation is key to building resilience. By channeling resources directly to community-driven non-governmental and civil society organizations, UNDP-AFCIA has enabled scalable solutions that address both environmental and social dimensions of climate change.
As the programme heads towards the end of its implementation, its legacy lies in the networks built, the evidence generated and the inspiration drawn from the 44 organizations leading change on the ground. The Cape Town workshop was both a celebration of this journey and a call to continue supporting grassroots innovation as a vital driver of global climate resilience. UNDP remains fully committed to advancing locally led action, building on the achievements of AFCIA and working hand in hand with partners to scale innovative adaptation solutions and resilience globally.
For more information, please contact monica.borrero@undp.org
Photos
From left to right: Yusuke Taishi (UNDP, Climate Change Adaptation Team Principal Technical Advisor a.i.), Chongguang Yu (UNDP SDG Finance Policy Advisor, Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific), Prof. Todd Cort (Senior Lecturer in Sustainability; Faculty Director of Sustainability Program, MBA for Executives- Faculty Co-Director, Yale University), Dr. Annika Surmeier (Senior Lecturer and the Academic Director of the CEMS Master of Management, UCT) and Dr. Abrar Chaudhury (Senior Research Fellow, Saïd Business School and Green Templeton College, University of Oxford), setting the scene during the first day of the workshop. Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA
Applause marks the conclusion of a session bringing together AFCIA grantees and partners. Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA
Group discussion. Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA
From left to right: Moderating Mónica Borrero (Global Programme Manager, UNDP-AFCIA); as part of the panel Ololade Adegoke (Sustainable Environment and Fisheries Foundation Nigeria), Arden Edwards (Belize Livestock Producers Association), Jemuel Perino (BUKDAA Philippines), Alyssa Gomes (Climate Change Specialist, Adaptation Fund) and Yusuke Taishi (UNDP, Climate Change Adaptation Team Principal Technical Advisor a.i.) participate as speakers in the last session of the workshop to share final insights and conclusions. Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA
From left to right: Orawan Yafa (Foundation for Community-Soul, Thailand), Aneerudha Paul (Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers, India), Unathi Sihlahla (INMED South Africa) and Chiranjeet Chatterjee (The South Asian Forum for Environment, India) pose at the venue terrace. Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA
From left to right: Jane Abou Rjeily (Diaries of the Ocean, Lebanon), Ndingani Mashanzhi (UNDP South Africa country office representative) and André Luiz Rodrigues (Centro Ecológico, Brazil). Photo: Rodel Bañares / UNDP-AFCIA