Partnering for Adaptation

Exploring evidence-informed action & bridging knowledge

By SouthSouthNorth

July 26^th, 2024

The adaptation chasm

The UNEP Adaptation Gap Report 2023 paints a concerning picture against the backdrop of increasing climate change impacts globally. Adaptation actions supported by international climate funds declined in 2022, and new projects have stagnated over the past decade. The report indicates a financing gap of $215 billion to $387 billion per year this decade, with projections for a significant increase by 2050 as climate impacts intensify. In the face of billions living in highly vulnerable environments and millions at risk of extreme poverty due to climate impacts, the window of opportunity for a sustainable future is rapidly closing. There is an urgent need to narrow the gap between adaptation actions and escalating climate risks to avert severe consequences. A profound understanding of diverse regional and socio-economic contexts and effective funding strategies is crucial for meaningful and timely action. Without this, maladaptation may result in vulnerability lock-ins and unintended risks.

Setting the scene

The Adaptation Research Alliance, SouthSouthNorth, and the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group identified the opportunity to convene an open dialogue among a group of philanthropic actors and practitioners to advance adaptation action with urgency and ambition. On the 8th of December 2023, on the sidelines of COP28, fifty-eight participants convened in a "knowledge lab" format to unpack essential aspects of boosting adaptation action, with a central focus on equity and diverse contextual realities across regions. The knowledge lab was against the backdrop of a call to action by eighteen philanthropic organisations a few days earlier, some of whom were represented at the event. The knowledge lab was framed by Dina Zayed (Programme Director, Climate Emergency Collaboration Group), Pilar Bueno Rubial (Senior Researcher, National Council of Scientific and Technical Research, Universidad Nacional de Rosario) and Josh Ogada (Knowledge Management Lead, SouthSouthNorth). Each speaker emphasised the urgency for action and the importance of exchanging insights on adaptation practices.

Framing the discussion

Anju Sharma, who is the Global Lead on Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) at the Global Center on Adaptation, initiated the discussion by explaining the connection between context and communities. In adaptation action, context plays a crucial role as it provides a framework to comprehend the meaning, significance, and relevance of information.

We need to stop fragmenting resources. In effect, we are all trying to do the same thing; all our efforts are related and we need to break the silos.

Context & communities

The risk, exposure, and vulnerability that are specific to a location are often the key factors in understanding the problems caused by climate change impacts. Communities, through their voices, offer a critical viewpoint for framing and understanding the issues caused by climate change impacts. It is crucial to fully understand the context before rushing to any solutions or adaptation measures. Additionally, considering the local context is important because it reduces inefficiencies in efforts and resources while strengthening institutions that are accountable to people. Anju expressed the need for transformational change, advocating for a departure from merely tinkering with inherited systems from overseas development aid models, which may not fully suit the adaptation finance context. In response, the group stressed the importance of external agencies working with communities to help them to understand climate change and negotiate better with their governments.

Evidence & policy

The discussion shifted to evaluating the current adaptation evidence and policy, specifically addressing research gaps. Dr. Christopher Trisos (African Synthesis Centre for Climate Change, Environment and Development, University of Cape Town) highlighted several gaps in implementing adaptation actions, citing insufficient finance as a barrier, especially in developing countries. Over 170 countries have climate change-related adaptation policies, but implementation lags due to funding shortages. The discussion underscored knowledge gaps, particularly regarding effective measures across various levels of global warming, raising concerns about ecosystem-based adaptations reaching hard limits beyond 1.5 degrees Celsius. Chris underscored the educational setbacks caused by extreme climate events, such as droughts, and emphasised the importance of adaptation in energy systems and reducing city vulnerability. Additionally, Chris cautioned against mitigation actions that might harm adaptation opportunities, citing the IPCC's stance on certain forestation practices. Private sector investment in adaptation for low-income populations is lacking, requiring philanthropy and public sector finance. Chris suggested a new narrative around adaptation, recognising its unique needs for different types of finance to bridge development divides. He emphasised substantial research efforts to address knowledge gaps, particularly beyond 1.5°C, and the importance of setting clear global targets for adaptation.

"We often talk about maladaptation but not mal-mitigation, we need to be careful that mitigation actions don’t harm adaptation."

Key reflections

The breakout group discussions focused on emerging good practices prioritising community voice and equity in the design of adaptation programming and its funding. The focus was on acknowledging gaps in the knowledge base essential for planning adaptation interventions. The plenary feedback highlighted specific opportunities to support evidence and policy formation. Some emphasised the importance of translating global community-based evidence needs into practical options for financing adaptation. Understanding investors' motivations was deemed crucial for effective matchmaking and investment decisions. The group recommended focusing on long-term sustainability strategies that build resilience over time, cautioning against prioritising quick fixes without considering broader and lasting impacts.

Diving deeper

Shuchi Vora, the Resilience Evidence Coalition Lead at the Global Resilience Partnership, highlighted the importance of measurement and learning in adaptive practice. Shuchi emphasised the importance of assessing vulnerabilities, identifying hazards, and evaluating risks as crucial factors in developing effective adaptation strategies.

Measurement & learning

Shuchi outlined three key principles for measurement and learning:

"no evidence about us without us"
acknowledging the tension between measurement rigour and plural ways of knowing,
and recognising the need for better approaches to weigh the evidence.

In response, another speaker advocated a shift from being knowers to facilitators of multi-stakeholder partnerships, where communities are regarded as equal critical partners. Two important questions were posed:

Why is there insufficient urgency in our responses?
Given the urgency, how meaningful are the trade-offs between efficiency and effectiveness in providing any adaptive response?

"We don't need to go faster. We need to slow down, embrace uncertainty, build redundancies, accept and move on from failure, learn and listen to the communities. We need to introspect more and be more effective rather than efficient."

Partnerships & networks

Andrés Mogro, Programme Lead for Resilience and Climate Transitions at Fundación Avina, shared his insights on the importance of networks and partnerships in shaping effective adaptation actions between philanthropy and practitioners. He emphasised the need for collaboration and networked action, underscoring the importance of building an ecosystem of shared learning. Andrés stressed the importance of partnerships at all levels for global climate action, involving youth, Indigenous peoples, and women. Coordination, presence in various spaces and creating social capital were identified as essential, along with ally growth through a unified vision. Andrés reiterated the significance of partnerships for mutual growth, outlining four crucial elements for collaborative action: innovation, incidence, shared agendas, and creating opportunities.

"We need to recognise equality in project design. We need to break down the power dynamic and make personal connections among equals."

Key reflections

In reflection, group discussions emphasised the importance of balancing rigour in measurement and learning work while accommodating plural ways of knowing and diverse evidence sources. Groups recommended using mixed methods (quantitative and qualitative) beyond indicators, advocating for narrative forms and case studies that provide a comprehensive view of adaptation centred around people's needs rather than relying solely on outcome indicators. Additionally, it was stressed that there was a necessity for partnerships to shift from siloed approaches to holistic ones with shared visions centred around humanity's goals. To achieve this, trust is a crucial foundation for successful partnerships, particularly when working with local communities. Building trust involves enhancing capacities and capabilities for engaging in decision-making processes and ensuring transparency in constructing project budgets.

Closing insights

A key insight was the significance of the shift from viewing local communities as beneficiaries to recognising them as essential collaborators. This involves co-creating processes that incorporate indigenous knowledge for the development of resilience-building solutions. Additionally, it is essential to translate community-based evidence needs into practical options for financing adaptation. Critically, the notion of “translating” requires inquisition – for whom is something being “translated,” why is this “translation” required, and what are the opportunities and pitfalls intermediating the needs of others, especially those at the front line of climate impacts?

Sharing knowledge

Research, experimentation, and exploration of this philanthropic/practitioner interface domain appeared as a topic for further discovery. The opportunity presents itself to analyse existing ways of collaboration while pushing forward the potential for philanthropic organisations to engage in innovative models that challenge existing modes. Often, philanthropic organisations can be more flexible in their support relative to, for example, bilateral/multilateral organisations. Therefore, the opportunity to share innovations, outcomes of prototypes, and case studies of areas of challenge would be a valuable contribution.

Networked collaboration

Engaging a network of actors in learning and sharing to harness their capacity (and networks) for generating insights on learning, innovation, and complexity was recognised by the group as an essential next step. The emergence of any network will likely be decentralised, adaptive and somewhat organic at its inception. Effective learning will likely see participants react to evolving circumstances, enabling adaptive problem-solving within a fluid and ever-evolving redefinition of the task at hand.

Building coalitions

The group highlighted opportunities for bringing coalitions together by developing shared principles around grant-making approaches that are effective, equitable and centre on key requests from partners in the field. Closing messages called for the collapse of binary thinking between practitioners/funders while emphasising philanthropy's role as “not just going where light already shines but asking big questions – leading towards transformative action”. This highlighted philanthropy's role in posing significant questions and fostering transformative action, rather than solely concentrating on established areas of focus.

Applied learning

In pursuit of this convergence, the group discussion highlighted the necessity for enhanced knowledge sharing at the interconnection of philanthropic organisations and practitioners, identifying specific gaps and needs within each group. The philanthropic/practitioner interface emerged as a domain for further research, experimentation, and exploration. The potential lies in analysing current collaboration methods while encouraging philanthropic organisations to adopt innovative models that challenge existing norms. The group emphasised the importance of applying this learning with continuous feedback loops to keep pace with a dynamically changing environment.

Test new ways of working

Looking beyond COP28, the opportunity presents itself to gather a group of willing philanthropic organisations who would be open to documenting and sharing candid experiences from their adaptation initiatives. To enhance learning and sharing, it's crucial to emphasise that confining this process solely within the philanthropic community would be limiting. Multiple audiences could benefit from emerging insights, particularly when flexibility has been afforded to explore new approaches.

Footnotes

This work was made possible through the support of the Climate Emergency Collaboration Group, a sponsored project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors. Photographs by Grace O’Donovan of SouthSouthNorth. Authors: