Developing regional and national Adaptation Fund projects in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Organizers: Adaptation Fund Secretariat and ICIMOD

About the regional consultation

The Adaptation Fund (AF) Secretariat and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) are jointly organizing a virtual regional consultation focused on developing regional, national, and large innovation project proposals in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The consultation will bring together the Designated Authorities (DAs) of the AF from ICIMOD’s eight Regional Member Countries (RMCs) to seek their insights and guidance in accessing AF financing for regional and national priorities.

The main objectives of the regional consultation are as follows:

• Provide a regional platform comprising the DAs from ICIMOD’s RMCs for mutual sharing and learning regarding funding opportunities of the AF.
• Initiate a consultative process with the DAs and ICIMOD in the development of national and regional AF projects in mutual areas of interest regarding the proposal development process, project implementation modalities, and partnerships in the RMCs.
• Ensure that ICIMOD-proposed regional AF projects are in line with RMC priorities and seek DAs’ guidance and endorsement to fulfil the AF’s requirements.
• Share ICIMOD’s portfolio on adaptation-related programmes and projects and assist its RMCs to create a project pipeline specifically addressing vulnerabilities of mountain communities and ecosystems.

Participants

AF Secretariat

ICIMOD

Representatives of DAs from ICIMOD’s RMCs

• National Environmental Protection Agency, Afghanistan
• Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bangladesh
• Development Cooperation Division, Gross National Happiness Commission, Bhutan
• Department of Climate Change, National Development and Reform Commission, China
• Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, India
• Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Conservation, Myanmar
• Climate Change Management Division, Ministry of Forests and Environment, Nepal
• Ministry of Climate Change, Pakistan

Background

The AF finances concrete adaptation projects and programmes in developing countries that are parties to the Kyoto Protocol and are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change. These projects and programmes help vulnerable communities adapt to climate change. The AF aims to reduce vulnerability and increase the adaptive capacity of human and natural systems to respond to the impacts of climate change, including climate variability.

ICIMOD was accredited as a Regional Implementing Entity (RIE) of the AF in February 2021. It is one of seven organizations to have received the accreditation status, becoming the first RIE in Asia. ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge-sharing centre serving the eight RMCs of the HKH: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. The HKH is a global asset in terms of key natural resource endowments, and a life support system to almost 2 billion people, providing ecosystem goods and services to not only people living in the mountains but also a larger population downstream. The HKH and its adjoining plains are among the regions that are most vulnerable to climate change, which poses a grave and immediate threat to livelihoods, biodiversity, water resources, and ultimately sustainability. Together with its RMCs, ICIMOD works to enhance social-ecological resilience and support adaptation of vulnerable mountain communities to climate change.

As an RIE, ICIMOD intends to facilitate and coordinate the development of regional and national adaptation projects to support its RMCs – with the majority of funding for national partners – and contribute towards achieving adaptation goals and leveraging climate financing opportunities in the region. ICIMOD aims to engage with its RMCs and partners to explore opportunities to tap into AF funding instruments in three streams: regional projects, adaptation innovation, and assisting with country-specific projects in the member countries especially linking with Nationally Determined Contributions and National Adaptation Plan priorities. By developing concrete adaptation projects with the AF, ICIMOD aims to enhance the adaptive capacity and resilience of mountain communities, generate and share new knowledge through adaptation innovation, and strengthen regional cooperation on climate action required to address transboundary climate risks and adaptation measures.

Agenda

Host: Naina Shakya, Partnership and Private Sector Specialist, ICIMOD