This working paper discusses how governments can use practical, flexible approaches to determine if and how finance is supporting locally led adaptation (LLA) to climate change. As national governments invest in building resilience to climate impacts, many are recognizing the importance of LLA. LLA recognizes that people closest to the effects of climate change are often best placed to identify adaptation solutions and must have financing and decision-making power to ensure that adaptation investments reflect their priorities.

The paper provides metrics for governments to track how much finance reaches the local level for adaptation, and how well that finance supports local agency in adaptation decisions. It also recommends tracking and reporting options governments can adapt to their country contexts and climate finance objectives. These recommendations are practical, near-term steps toward longer-term transformational change needed to support locally led adaptation. Tracking and reporting finance for LLA is important for ensuring adequate and sound investments, and ultimately for ensuring that finance reaches and meets the needs of those most directly affected by climate change.

Executive Summary:

  • This paper provides metrics governments can use to track how much finance reaches the local level for adaptation, as well as whether that finance supports local agency in adaptation decisions. It draws from the adaptation finance tracking and reporting methods of Colombia, Germany, Jamaica, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, the Philippines, and Uganda, as well as from literature review and expert consultations.
  • Recommended options for governments to adapt to their own country contexts and climate finance objectives fit into three categories: budget tagging, expenditure review, and integration with existing planning or policy processes.
  • Tracking and reporting quantity and quality of finance for LLA is important for ensuring adequate and sound investments, and ultimately for finance to reach and meet the needs of those most directly affected by climate change. Tracking and reporting also supports transparency, accountability, and resource mobilization.
  • However, neither quantity nor quality of finance for LLA is systematically tracked or reported. Barriers such as complexity of measuring and tracking finance, lack of data, and other resource limitations mean that most governments cannot assess whether domestic or international finance supports LLA.