As the impacts of climate change intensify, large and decentralized countries face challenges in implementing effective adaptation measures. National adaptation policies often cannot be implemented in local areas most vulnerable to climate risks, while sub-national governments struggle with limited resources, weak coordination and inadequate access to climate-related data.

Vertical integration — defined as the alignment and coordination of national and sub-national governments in planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation — can help address these gaps. It ensures that adaptation priorities reflect local conditions and align with national objectives so that implementation models are consistent with capacities at the sub-national level. By fostering coordination, aligning funding and promoting inclusive decision-making across different levels of government, countries can transform policy commitments into tangible outcomes that build resilience.

In this working paper, we examine how the vertical integration of climate change adaptation can be strengthened, using Indonesia, Brazil and India as comparative case studies. We selected these countries based on their similar governance nature: large, diverse, democratic nations that emphasize multilevel governance, making vertical coordination both important and highly relevant.

Drawing on desk research, structured and unstructured interviews, and focus group discussions conducted by WRI between January and September 2025, we provide empirical evidence on common barriers, highlight opportunities and offer practical recommendations for policymakers, planners and development partners on how coordination across governmental levels can be enhanced.

There is currently strong momentum to advance vertical integration in climate adaptation, supported by the emerging United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) adaptation indicators and initiatives such as the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships for Climate Action. Vertical integration can accelerate climate adaptation by embedding shared indicators across governance levels, strengthening coordination and aligning finance and implementation efforts. With growing global momentum following the 30th Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC, there is an opportunity to establish clearer guidelines for decentralized coordination, while promoting a more locally led adaptation approach that reflects community needs and contexts. Ultimately, strong vertical integration would enhance governance, improve multisectoral collaboration and enable more effective and responsive climate action. 

This study's findings contribute to these ongoing global discussions under the UNFCCC relating to the Global Goal on Adaptation as well as the design of national adaptation plans. 

Key Findings

Indonesia, Brazil and India face several common barriers to coordinating climate adaptation across governmental levels:

  • Fragmented governance: weak institutional coordination, hindering the integration of climate change adaptation
  • Capacity gaps: different levels of understanding and advancement of climate adaptation issues among national, sub-national and local government officials, including varying understanding of the concept of climate adaptation at the sub-national and local levels
  • Financing gaps: limited financial and human resources for managing and implementing climate adaptation policies, especially at the sub-national level due to a lack of data and accountability gaps 

The three countries face similar barriers to vertically integrating climate adaptation, including unclear governance roles, limited sub-national financing, local capacity gaps and fragmented coordination. Stronger alignment of financing, data and accountability systems is key for overcoming these challenges.

Based on these findings, we have identified four key recommendations for these emerging-market countries to advance the vertical integration of climate adaptation:

  • Improve governance across sectors and institutions, including by increasing coordination; strengthening accountability across sectors and levels of government; and ensuring that roles, responsibilities and decision-making processes are clearly assigned and can be effectively monitored for vertical integration.
  • Enhance the capacity of government officials at different levels to plan, implement, monitor and evaluate the climate adaptation programme—thereby strengthening understanding of climate adaptation issues—and improve accountability across all project phases, enabling institutions to deliver on commitments and be held responsible for results.
  • Strengthen data and information and harmonize risk assessment methodologies and systems to reinforce accountability through robust monitoring and evaluation of climate adaptation progress at different levels, allowing transparent tracking of adaptation progress and improving credibility to attract investment.
  • Ensure that financial mechanisms allow funds (both national and international sources such as funding from multilateral development banks) to be allocated and used in a traceable and accountable manner across national and sub-national levels.