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.

UN4NAPs offers a platform for countries to communicate their needs for technical support and advice on an ongoing basis, to which UN organizations can respond positively with responses, which can range all the way from simple answers to technical questions to longer-term opportunities for engagement with the countries. The UNFCCC Secretariat will thereby facilitate the ongoing collection of queries and requests from countries, and then will immediately communicate with relevant UN organizations from a roster for prompt response.

Thus, through UN4NAPs, countries will receive customized support for the different areas which the countries identify. NAPs will only be truly relevant and meaningful if their formulation and implementation is led by the country. This is according to Art. 7 of the Paris Agreement, which states that “adaptation action should follow a country-driven, gender-responsive, participatory and fully transparent approach, taking into consideration vulnerable groups, communities and ecosystems, and should be based on and guided by the best available science and, as appropriate, traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples and local knowledge systems, with a view to integrating adaptation into relevant socioeconomic and environmental policies and actions, where appropriate.

UN4NAPs aims at advancing progress on Art. 7 of the Paris Agreement, which states that Parties should “strengthen their cooperation on enhancing action on adaptation, taking into account the Cancun Adaptation Framework, including with regard to:

1. Sharing information, good practices, experiences and lessons learned, including, as appropriate, as these relate to science, planning, policies and implementation in relation to adaptation actions
2. Strengthening institutional arrangements, including those under the Convention that serve this Agreement, to support the synthesis of relevant information and knowledge, and the provision of technical support and guidance to Parties;
3. Strengthening scientific knowledge on climate, including research, systematic observation of the climate system and early warning systems, in a manner that informs climate services and supports decision-making;
4. Assisting developing country Parties in identifying effective adaptation practices, adaptation needs, priorities, support provided and received for adaptation actions and efforts, and challenges and gaps, in a manner consistent with encouraging good practices; and
5. Improving the effectiveness and durability of adaptation actions.”

The wide array of expertise of importance for countries covered by UN4NAPs member organizations ranges across sectors (e.g., land management, agriculture, settlements, tourism, early warning systems and coastal management) and covers a range of activities (incl. adaptation assessments, education on climate change, developing social-economic pathways for the future, capacity building, and technical advice in developing proposals to funding sources). 

Based on the identification of key areas for adaptation measures, countries will be able to identify areas of support.

In the longer term, UN4NAPs will become a platform for countries and partners to exchange lessons learned, share innovative approaches and solutions to challenges around the NAP formulation and implementation.

In 2011, following the completion of the National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) process, the process to formulate and implement National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) was launched under the UNFCCC. NAPs, as opposed to short-term NAPAs, aim at a longer-term, holistic adaptation vision.

As of October 2022, only 38 countries have submitted a NAP. Through the formulation of NAPs, countries identify the most critical areas of action and necessary measures to build resilience. Furthermore, NAPs help countries strengthen the adaptation-related elements in their NDCs.

The formulation and implementation of NAPs require a considerable amount of financial and staff resources and capacities. The UNFCCC has been supporting countries in this work.

Countries face several challenges in the formulation and implementation of their NAPs, including:

1. Institutional arrangements and coordination, such as establishing processes at the national level to allow national leadership and coordination of adaptation efforts, liaising with regional and international mechanisms; establishing or strengthening relevant legal frameworks, or establishing systems for monitoring and evaluation;
2. Accessing financial and other support, such as establishing or strengthening systems to mobilize and facilitate the flow of resources and information across different levels of government, understanding requirements of funding proposals, or specific proposal writing in different categories;
3. Assessment of climate scenarios and translation to local contexts, such as effectively working with climate data and scenarios as a basis for considering long-term climate impacts in decision-making or conducting comprehensive risk and vulnerability assessments.