Climate change resilience efforts: from adaptation priorities to significant funding

Adaptation Planning support for Kenya through FAO (KEN-RS-002) worth USD 3 million successfully focused on capacity building for government staff integrating climate change into planning and budgeting, and trained over 700 technical staff and journalists, supported the implementation of the Kenya Climate Smart Agriculture Framework in 5 counties by offering technical support for 18 community groups (720 beneficiaries), and sensitised 43 counties on the NAP. Through GCF guidance and support from this grant, Kenya validated its National Adaptation Plan, and they could produce and submit this document to the UNFCCC. This enhanced the technical and institutional capacities for adaptation planning and strengthened the knowledge base for the national adaptation planning.

Adaptation Planning support for Kenya through FAO (KEN-RS-002) also created an impact assessment framework for agricultural adaptation, with cost benefit analysis indicating economic viability and social benefits to improve subsequent adaptation plans highlighted through the adaptation planning. Additionally, the project supported the private sector in establishing the climate business information network and a climate solutions strategy and developed a concept note to attract investments for climate change action through public-private partnerships. This provided evidence-based results for the national adaptation planning improved and integrated in subsequent adaptation plans and allowed the private sector to actively engage and invest in the adaptation process.

The NAP knowledge base was achieved through a training curriculum developed and integrated in the Kenya School of Government (KSG). Moreover, 8 workshops on NAP training and sensitisation were held at the county level with the launch of 2015-2030 NAP. In collaboration with academic institutions, research institutions, and the media council, a regional climate change training programme for journalists was also developed. Strengthening the application of gender-responsive approaches and enhancing the capacity of technical staff to incorporate climate change opportunities and risks into budgeting and planning greatly promoted knowledge management. The final measure implemented was to equip Climate Change Coordination Units with information management and data analysis systems at both the county and national levels (in all 47 municipalities across the six targeted institutions).