Zambia’s progress Towards Adaptation Planning: Building Resilience for a Sustainable Future

Strengthening institutional capacities for climate change adaptation actions through training, developing tools, and providing technical support in formulating climate change adaptation actions by various sectoral lead institutions. Capacity of Development Bank of Zambia was intentionally strengthened with the aim of considering it as Zambia GCF Direct Access Entity that can play a key role in implementing the NAP. Zambian university professionals were engaged in the capacity development efforts. 

Establishing mechanisms for integrating climate change adaptation into long-term development planning and budget processes, thus institutionalising climate change adaptation in government systems. Strengthened institutional coordination and collaboration for adaptation planning, building on the existing national systems for coordination, monitoring, review, and reporting. 

Development of resource mobilisation Strategy to enable financing of priority adaptation actions in the NAP.  This readiness grant Identified priority adaptation actions for the various sectors and geographic areas based on identified vulnerabilities and facilitated the Integration of gender and social inclusion in the NAP. There was development of system, tools and indicators for monitoring, evaluation, learning and reporting on climate change adaptation in the country. 

Zambia’s NAP formulation process adopted a broad-based multi-stakeholder approach in which various stakeholders were consulted in the identification and prioritization of vulnerabilities, adaptation options and adaptation actions. In order to achieve this, the NAP process identified all key stakeholders, outlined and communicated their roles and responsibilities at the beginning and during the NAP process. The readiness grant of facilitated the development of a resource mobilization Strategy to enable financing of priority adaptation actions in the NAP

This is key not only for successfully identifying adaptation options, but importantly , for institutionalising the system for the NAP’s implementation, monitoring and reporting. Integrating the NAP process into existing planning and budgetary processes sets up the NAP for successful implementation in a country-owned manne

The Zambia NAP process followed a holistic approach in that it included the development of mechanisms for implementing priority adaptation actions. This includes packaging priority adaptation options into project ideas, identifying lead sectors, engaging implementing and financing partners during NAP formulation. This is key in terms of actual implementation of the NAP.

The NAP process in Zambia brought together stakeholders from within and outside government, recognizing and sensitizing various stakeholders on their roles in the NAP formulation and implementation

This collaboration between the main implementing agency in the country with the Delivery Partner at both higher leadership levels and at the technical levels – among the project team members, the focal point and technical staff in the Ministry and sector leads – allowed for smooth project implementation and successful delivery through adaptative management and risk mitigation (including related to COVID-19).

Zambia started its resource mobilization efforts for NAP implementation during formulation of the NAP to avoid a gap between planning and implementation.

Training and facilitating sector focal point persons to lead sectoral and sub-national level consultations enhanced local capacity for adaptation planning. This approach has also created embedded capacity at national and sub-national levels for NAP implementation beyond the NAP4CR project.