December 2023 marks the end of the first global stocktake, the mechanism established to assess progress towards the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement. Monitoring evaluation, and learning (MEL) of adaptation action is fundamental to create the evidence needed to develop effective adaptation action and for informing national adaptation planning, as well as to hold all actors responsible for adaptation commitments. However, it remains methodologically and practically challenging. In many countries, MEL of adaptation action is still in its infancy. Against this background, assessing collective progress on adaptation at the global level is a huge challenge.    

The UNFCCC Adaptation Committee (AC) – the principal body under the United Nations system providing guidance and ensuring coherence on adaptation – together with the NAP Global Network and the OECD, used this event to take stock of progress made to-date and ask questions about why MEL continues to lag behind other steps of the adaptation process and what is needed to support and improve the MEL of national adaptation action.

The AC presented findings from its work on developing and applying MEL systems at the national and subnational level. It drew principally on the AC’s recent paper on this topic. The paper is the latest in a significant portfolio of work led by the AC on the topic of adaptation monitoring and evaluation since 2013. It presents a set of case studies at the national and subnational level to showcase enduring challenges, as well as opportunities and good practices, in establishing and operationalizing these systems.

The event also featured presentations of two  toolkits focused on adaptation monitoring and evaluation, one of which focuses on the international development cooperation realm while the other focuses on guidance to support countries in the development of their monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems for National Adaptation Plan processes. These toolkits were presented by the OECD and the NAP Global Network, respectively; both organizations are playing an instrumental role in facilitating adaptation to climate change in countries around the world.

Additionally, the event included the presentation of new research that sheds light on the application of MEL through the lens of experience to date in Nepal. This deep-dive into the experience of one country complemented the broader research and toolkits presented in the session.

Overall, the session fostered discussion on new developments and tools in the realm of adaptation MEL, and showcase insights that can assist countries, subnational governments, development cooperation partners, and other stakeholders to better design and implement coherent and effective MEL systems.

Agenda: