SBSTA conclusions in Glasgow for the NWP to focus on relevant knowledge for people that are enacting upscaled adaptation action:

• Identify relevant adaptation and resilience knowledge needs and good practices for all countries, including capacity-building, finance and technology; the process to formulate and implement NAPs; including indigenous expertise in climate change adaptation action and others;
• Develop tools to ensure that knowledge products are tailored to the needs of knowledge users and accessible to maximize the uptake of adaptation knowledge and increase the usefulness of the products to knowledge users implementing adaptation action;
• Measure the uptake of knowledge products by users, tracking progress and using the results to enhance their accessibility and applicability;
• Strengthen long-term strategic engagement with constituted bodies and NWP thematic expert groups that align with needs and mandates of constituted bodies.

Read NWP conclusions

Biodiversity and Climate Change Adaptation at COP 26

The NWP 14th Focal Point Forum convened Parties, including UNFCCC national focal points, the NWP thematic expert groups and partners to discuss and share knowledge about innovative and integrated approaches for biodiversity and climate change adaptation.

Takeaways:



• Forest and grassland biodiversity and coastal ecosystems are home to critical biodiversity and ecosystem functions and services. These essential biomes face threats from multiple drivers of change, which reduce their potential to deliver essential services to people, including in terms of adaptation;
• Biodiversity and ecosystems are central components of resilience, and can play a role in adaptation strategies, deliver multiple benefits for sustainable development, and become valuable tools for countries in their overall climate action plans;
• Adaptation and mitigation co-benefits can be linked through ecosystem-based adaptation and nature-based solutions in combination with other approaches to adaptation;
• Efforts need to be made to adopt a whole-of-government approach to break silos, and ensure mitigation and adaptation efforts do not negatively affect biodiversity conservation.

Read more about the event

Uniting adaptation technologies and nature-based solutions to enhance coastal and ocean resilience NWP - TEC - IUCN joint event

Integrating technology and ecosystems into national adaptation planning is critical to achieving the Paris Agreement. Scaling up such measures can achieve multiple benefits for adaptation, mitigation, and conservation.



Panelists identified opportunities for resourcing and scaling of integrated technological and ecosystem-based approaches to climate change adaptation, financing, capacity building and implementation:

• Adaptation technologies, such as enhanced forecasting, flooding safeguards and insurance are critical to enhancing resilience;
• Communities on the frontlines can be empowered and supported by bringing financial, legal, policy and human resources to build resilience;
• Identifying locally relevant solutions is important to build the resilience of ecosystems and communities;
• Projects in coastal areas and marine ecosystems are needed which are implemented in a culturally appropriate manner, in a way that achieves both mitigation and adaption potential.

The outcome of these events will be applied to inform a policy brief and recommendations to the Conference of Parties (COP), outlining challenges, opportunities and actions for improving uptake and upscaling of innovative adaptation approaches that integrate technology and nature-based solutions.

Read more about the event

Reports on oceans and on forests and grassland biodiversity launched during COP 26

Nature-based solutions are vital to strengthen livelihoods, ensure food security and protect lives. While momentum is growing about how biodiversity and oceans play a part in enhancing resilience, knowledge gaps in adapting to the impacts of climate change still exist and pose barriers to countries taking necessary adaptation action.

To inform dicussions and help build capacity, the NWP issued two publications in partnership with its thematic expert groups:

A publication on building resilience of oceans, coastal areas and ecosystems helps countries and coastal communities build resilience and address challenges in adapting to the adverse impacts of climate change. The report highlights new solutions and good practices for building resilience of oceans and coastal areas, and gives an overview of knowledge gaps and opportunities for coordinated action to address these gaps. 

A scoping paper on integrating knowledge gaps in forest and grassland biodiversity and ecosystems into adaptation strategies focuses on how forest and grassland biodiversity can strengthen countries’ resilience to the effects of climate change. The paper provides case studies, best practices and information for governments to address knowledge gaps that hinder the scaling up of adaptation climate action plans to increase resilience.

Read more

Building Momentum to Close Adaptation Knowledge Gaps in the MENA

Join us during the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week 2022!

Responding to the knowledge and resilience needs of countries through tailored information for knowledge users is crucial to implementing adaptation action – a key element of the Paris Agreement.

The event will showcase the efforts of the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) and initiatives currently underway to close adaptation knowledge gaps that hinder climate action in the North Africa and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) subregions. It will also facilitate engagement of participating organizations, including government representatives, adaptation experts, practitioners and financial institutions to close the knowledge gaps in these subregions.

Event page

Knowledge partnerships in agriculture and food security

The SBSTA has prioritized agriculture and food security as a critical area where knowledge gaps need to be closed to enhance adaptation action.

Using NWP’s knowledge-to-action methodology, the work on this thematic area will include three key elements:

• Understanding and sharing knowledge gaps for target knowledge users and opportunities for coordinated action to address these gaps through a scoping paper;
• Building long-term engagement with thematic experts on agriculture and food security to catalyze actions to close these gaps, as well as monitor and evaluate the actions;
• Building synergies with relevant processes and initiatives to promote coherent work in building resilience for agriculture and food security.

Get involved

UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme

The SBSTA welcomed the launch of the UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme and its relevance in engaging youth in closing specific knowledge gaps.

The programme gives university students the opportunity to work closely with local, national and regional partners in undertaking a research project directly in countries, for example as part of capstone projects or master’s thesis. These projects address knowledge gaps (see LAKI knowledge gaps, gaps related to formulation and implementation of NAPs) which remain a critical barrier to countries implementing adaptation actions.

In 2021, the NWP convened partnerships with

• the National University of Rosario, Argentina (focusing at the land-food-ecosystem-tourism nexus in the Paraná Delta, Argentina);
• Jawaharlal Nehru University, India, UNFCCC RCC Bangkok, and Global Water Partnership (addressing impact of climate extremes on water quantity and quality in mountainous urban areas in India, Nepal/Bhutan); and
• the University of Michigan, USA and ICIMOD (developing a methodological framework for linking climate change to biodiversity and ecosystem services in the Hindu Kush Himalayas).

In 2022, the NWP initiated new partnerships with the University of Michigan, the Australia Pacific Climate Partnership and the UNEP Asia Pacific Adaptation Network for a project that will address limitations to access of early warning information and influences on adaptation measures in the Pacific Small Island Developing States.

Learn more

Facilitative Working Group (FWG) of the Local Communities and Indigenous Peoples Platform (LCIPP)

Under the initial two-year workplan concluded in 2021, the LCIPP has engaged over 500 contributors from a range of stakeholders across events, webinars, and workshops, and through the social networks of the platform. Collaboration has culminated into a variety of outputs, which aim to strengthen knowledge, technologies, practices and efforts of local communities and indigenous peoples related to addressing and responding to climate change:

• A technical paper on policies and practices on participation of indigenous peoples and local communities in climate change bodies and processes;
• A multi-stakeholder in-session workshop on synergies and interactions with climate change related bodies and processes under and outside of the UNFCCC;
• A summary document on the implementation of good practices for participation in national climate policy;
• A synthesis document on existing funding within the UN system and additional opportunities for participation related to climate change;
• A training webinar series on engagement with indigenous knowledge;
• The elaboration of recommendations on the engagement and input of indigenous peoples and local communities across the UNFCCC process.
  
• The adoption of a second three-year workplan (2022-2024) of the LCIPP.

Indigenous knowledge holders at COP 26

The LCIPP facilitated the participation and contribution of knowledge holders from local communities and indigenous peoples across seven sociocultural regions worldwide. These groups feature in COP 26 outcomes:

• The Glasgow Climate Pact emphasizes the important role of indigenous peoples’ and local communities’ culture and knowledge in effective action on climate change, and urges Parties to actively involve indigenous peoples and local communities in designing and implementing climate action;

• A successful review of the work of the Facilitative Working Group (FWG), resulting in COP Decision 16/CP.26;

Get involved with the LCIPP

Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG)

LEG 41 meeting

Following the extension of the mandate of the LEG at COP 26, the LEG will develop the two-year rolling work programme for 2022-2023, to include elements arising from COP 26 and highlighting 20 years of adaptation support to the LDCs. The LEG will hold its 41st meeting from 21 to 24 March 2022.

The least developed countries and relevant UN agencies and organizations will be represented during the meeting. Relevant information for the meeting can be accessed here.

Read more about the LEG

Executive Committee of the Warsaw International Mechanism for Loss and Damage

Face to Face with the Warsaw International Mechanism (WIM)



Averting, minimizing and addressing loss and damage is a complex challenge that requires multi-disciplinary solutions, spanning across the whole risk continuum, including social protection, recovery, restoration and rehabilitation measures, and transformational approaches. The WIM Executive Committee has been catalyzing resources and expertise from a broad mix of expert organizations and networks.

The booklet, Face to Face with the WIM, informs practitioners and policy-makers about the wealth and breadth of expertise mobilized by showcasing the profiles of experts who stand ready to assist in implementing approaches to avert, minimize and address loss and damage associated with climate change impacts through five expert groups of the WIM. These experts also facilitate the integration of loss and damage perspectives into knowledge management and activities within their communities.

Read more

Technology Executive Committee (TEC)

Twenty-fourth meeting of the TEC and joint session with the Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) Advisory Board

On 22-25 March and 28 March 2022, the UNFCCC TEC will organize an online meeting focusing on various areas of climate technology development and transfer, including adaptation technologies; considering the work of its task force on different areas specified in its rolling work plan.

The TEC will also meet with the CTCN in a joint session to report on the progress of both bodies, consider the progress on the joint activities, and discuss the future joint work by both bodies.



More information about the TEC24 agenda, meeting documents and broadcast links is available in the link below.

Learn more

Thematic dialogue on enabling environments to incentivize the private and public sector in the development and transfer of technologies

A thematic dialogue on enabling environments will be organized during the 24^th meeting of the TEC (22-25 March 2022). This thematic dialogue will be based on a TEC Paper on enabling environments and challenges to technology development and transfer identified in TNAs, NDCs, and CTCN technical assistance, which has identified economic and financial barriers as the primary barriers to climate adaptation and mitigation action.

The dialogue will focus on discussing experiences in strengthening climate technology implementation through overcoming barriers to technology development and transfer to support the implementation of the Paris Agreement.

This thematic dialogue aims to bring together key actors, such as private sector investors, technology suppliers, and government and state agencies representatives.

Detailed information on time, agenda and broadcast link will be published on the event page prior to the event.

Event page

Provide your submissions to inform the stocktake of the NWP at SBSTA 56 (deadline 31 March 2022)

The NWP stocktake at SBSTA 56 (June 2022) will identify ways of strengthening the operational and institutional modalities of the NWP to help scale up adaptation through knowledge.

Parties, constituted bodies, NWP partner organizations and other relevant organizations are invited to share their views on the performance and effectiveness of the NWP in addressing knowledge needs relevant to implementing the Paris Agreement via the submission portal by 31 March 2022:

• How has work under the NWP enhanced adaptation in countries through knowledge?
• What lessons learned, gaps, opportunities and challenges have arisen in relation to NWP’s way of facilitating adaptation knowledge for Parties in implementing the Paris Agreement?
• What are the areas (engagement of Parties, monitoring, evaluation and learning framework, additional thematic areas) that can be strengthened?

Find the scope and guiding questions for the stocktake at SB 56 here (see paragraph 18).

Submission portal

Call for submissions: Santiago Expert Network operational modalities

COP 26 decided on the functions of the Santiago Network. To further develop its institutional arrangements, Parties and relevant organizations are invited to submit their views via the submission portal by 15 March 2022 on

• the network’s operational modalities;
• structure;
• the role of the WIM ExCom; and
• possible elements for the terms of reference of a potential convening or coordinating body.

The submissions will be considered at a technical workshop prior to the 56^th session of the Subsidiary Bodies in June 2022. 

Submission portal

Recently-added content on the Adaptation Knowledge Portal includes: 

Managing Climate Risks through Nature-Based Solutions

Connect with the UNFCCC’s Adaptation Knowledge Portal and the work on climate change adaptation

Scaling up the Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative (LAKI) to close knowledge gaps in subregions

Adaptation at the forefront of COP 26 outcomes in Glasgow

The Best of Both Worlds - Uniting Adaptation Technologies and Nature-based Solutions to Enhance Coastal and Ocean Resilience

14th Nairobi work programme Focal Point Forum on biodiversity and climate change adaptation

Ecosystem-based adaptation as a potential solution for improving the quality of water resources in Nepal and Peru

Here are three ways to engage with the NWP through the Adaptation Knowledge Portal:

1)   Become a knowledge-to-action hub partner;

2)   Share adaptation case studies, tools and relevant resources on adaptation with us. The Adaptation Knowledge Portal showcases relevant work and initiatives to help Parties, UNFCCC national focal points and NWP partners, and constituted bodies scale up adaptation action in pursuit of the objectives of the Paris Agreement. Share with us here;

3) Engage with the initiatives under the NWP and be part of actions to provide relevant information that helps scale up adaptation action.

Engage with the NWP

The NWP is responding to the challenges of adaptation and resilience in collaboration with over 440 partners representing a diversity of knowledge and expertise, coalitions and networks working in different thematic areas, sectors, regions and countries. Check this page to meet our partners.

Welcome new NWP partners

Since autumn 2021, 11 new organizations have become partners of UNFCCC’s adaptation knowledge-to-action network. We would like to welcome them on board!

• United Nations Population Fund
• CoAdapta | Litoral
• Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana
• ZoÏ Environment Network
• Santa Fe Institute
• October Six University
• Center for Climate Change Adaptation
• Norbu Group Limited
• Climate Investment Funds
• National University of Rosario
• Sustainable Development Council

Interested in the latest adaptation reports, technical papers, methods and tools from the NWP? Follow us on Twitter @AdaptXChange and on Facebook @The Adaptation Exchange, and as always, please email [email protected] with questions or to notify us of a change in your UNFCCC or NWP partner focal point.

NAIROBI WORK PROGRAMME | https://unfccc.int/nwp