Building Climate Resilience Through Local Leadership in Adaptation Finance

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.

This case study was drafted as part of the Adaptation Supplement of the Climate Investment Planning and Mobilization Famework.