Mobilizing expertise from across the UN system to advance National Adaptation Plans: UN4NAPs is a UN-wide rapid technical backstopping initiative for National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), launched in August 2021 by the UNFCCC secretariat, in response to mandates for engaging international organizations in support of climate change adaptation. 

It offers a platform for countries, initially for Least Development Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS), to communicate their needs for technical assistance on an ongoing basis. 

The partnership enables the UN-wide system of organizations and other intergovernmental organizations to respond to technical requests identified by any country that is in the process of formulating or implementing its NAP. 

Upon receival of requests for technical assistance, the UNFCCC secretariat immediately communicates with relevant partners from a roster of more than 45 UN and intergovernmental organizations for a prompt response.

In the UN4NAPs side event at COP 27, on 9 November 2022, representatives from LDCs and SIDS are invited to discuss and share interlinked, cascading climate risks and challenges in the context of the formulation or implementation of their National Adaptation Plan, that require cross-sectoral collaboration and innovative approaches, which the technical backstopping initiative UN4NAPs seeks to advance. 

Rationale and objectives

With their increasing complexity, climate change and related risks become more difficult to manage. In addition, as climatic and non-climatic risks interact, risks cascade across sectors and regions. For instance, when heat and drought events occur simultaneously, they impact agriculture and biodiversity, leading to risks for health and food production; or sea level rise combined with storm surges and heavy rainfall leads to increased flood risks, and impacts on coastal ecosystems, groundwater, livelihoods, settlements, health, and cultural values.[1] Such cross-sectoral challenges need to be addressed both in the formulation of NAPs and in the implementation thereof.