Local Leadership in Adaptation Finance is gaining traction as a powerful and effective approach to building climate resilience. Across diverse contexts—from South Africa and Costa Rica to the Federated States of Micronesia, Cambodia, Uganda, and the Colombia–Ecuador border region—locally led adaptation efforts are demonstrating that communities are not just beneficiaries of adaptation projects, but capable leaders in designing and implementing them. These efforts are supported by national institutions such as the South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI), Costa Rica’s Fundecooperación para el Desarrollo Sostenible, the Micronesia Conservation Trust (MCT), and Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment (MOWE), among others. Regional and local entities like the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS), the Grand Family Awá (GFA), the Network of Southern Pacific Community Councils (RECOMPAS), and the Afro-Ecuadorian Confederation of Northern Esmeraldas (CANE) are also playing a pivotal role in these initiatives.
At the heart of this work is the Adaptation Fund, which has emerged as a champion of locally led adaptation. Through its support for National and Regional Implementing Entities, the Adaptation Fund is actively promoting a shift in climate finance that places financial decision-making directly in the hands of local actors.
Locally led adaptation, in this context, refers to empowering local-level actors to plan, design, and execute measures that address the specific risks they face from climate change. A recent study supported by the Adaptation Fund draws insights from six case studies across the aforementioned countries, capturing valuable lessons and best practices in operationalizing this approach. These include institutional strategies that foster local leadership, participatory planning processes, community-driven monitoring systems, and capacity-building frameworks that enable sustained local ownership.
One key conclusion from the study is that when vulnerable groups and local actors are genuinely empowered, they are better-positioned to implement adaptation strategies that are effective, context-specific, and sustainable. Locally led adaptation not only improves the relevance and efficiency of interventions but also strengthens long-term resilience by embedding solutions within the social, cultural, and institutional fabric of local communities.
This growing body of work offers a compelling case for scaling up locally led adaptation as a core strategy for climate resilience. It demonstrates that communities, when supported with the right tools, financing, and autonomy, can be the most powerful agents of change in the global effort to adapt to climate change.
Learn more about Local Leadership in Adaptation Finance here.