Adaptation will be high on the international climate agenda next week when the Government of Botswana hosts NAP Expo 2022. The annual outreach event, happening from August 22 to 26 in Gaborone this year, brings together countries and various organizations to assess progress on National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). It is organized by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
A delegation representing the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) is headed to the event and is excited to contribute to discussions under this year’s NAP Expo theme: “Transformations to Adapt”. The CIF’s $1.2 billion Pilot Program for Climate Resilience (PPCR) works with developing country governments to integrate adaptation and resilience into their national plans. To set these plans into motion, PPCR provides grants and concessional finance to pilot innovative climate resilience solutions by the public and private sectors.
Loreta Rufo is Senior Climate Change Specialist for CIF and looks forward to the engagement of PPCR recipient countries with other countries that NAP Expo facilitates.
She says, “We are glad that PPCR countries in Africa are joining us to share their experiences and learning in pursuing initiatives that deliver transformational impacts and climate-resilient development through CIF support. We hope to have a meaningful conversation with other countries and adaptation practitioners and also learn from them on innovative ways to adapt to a changing climate and improve the lives of the most vulnerable people.”
PPCR and other programs have given the CIF unique insights and track record into how adaptation components can be factored into new programs. Under its Evaluation & Learning workstream, the CIF has been extensively capturing practices, challenges, and lessons learned from its operations and identifying effective approaches to enable transformational change. While at NAP Expo 2022, the CIF delegation will hold a discussion forum to highlight insights and reflections from a range of partners including those implementing CIF investment projects on the ground. The session, titled “Investing in Transformational Climate-Resilient Development: the CIF Experience”, will also highlight how these lessons could inform the design and implementation of new climate finance programs within the CIF or as well as in other climate facilities.
Neha Sharma who leads the CIF’s Evaluation and Learning Initiative, explains why NAP Expo is an important learning and listening opportunity for future climate adaptation strategies.
She notes, “The CIF’s learning laboratory mandate means we continuously seek to learn from our experience through past and ongoing programs and projects, to maximize benefits in the future. The NAP Expo is a great platform to share what we have learned, but also listen carefully and try to understand the deep challenges that developing countries are facing in adapting to climate change.”
The annual NAP Expo provides a global forum for countries to share their best practices and operational strategies as they implement their national adaptation plans. The expo also provides a platform for NAP country teams to connect with organizations, such as the CIF, that support their adaptation planning and implementation.