The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative

Identifying, prioritizing and closing adaptation knowledge gaps

Climate adaptation knowledge gaps have been identified as a barrier to scaling up adaptation actions. The Lima Adaptation Knowledge Initiative helps to prioritize adaptation knowledge gaps and catalyze actions to close these gaps. The UNFCCC secretariat convenes partnerships with regional and global centers and networks, NWP partners and universities to address these priority knowledge gaps.

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Since 2014, the LAKI has been implemented in seven subregions. Over the years, UNFCCC outcomes have welcomed the efforts under the LAKI to close knowledge gaps, including mandating the secretariat to scale up the work in new subregions. The section below provides an overview of the UNFCCC mandates for the LAKI since its inception.

Identifying, prioritizing and closing adaptation knowledge gaps

To learn more about the work in subregions, please visit the page here>>>

UNFCCC mandates on the LAKI
Year and meeting	SBSTA conclusions
2023: SBSTA 58	The SBSTA requested the secretariat to: (a) Scale up the LAKI around the globe, striving for a regional balance when organizing activities and workshops with regional partners thereunder, with a view to addressing knowledge gaps and enhancing adaptation action in developing countries (Para 24).
2022: SBSTA 56	The SBSTA welcomed the following modalities of the NWP, which play an important role in closing knowledge gaps related to adaptation in countries (Para 15 (b), (c)): Collaborating with experts, networks and Parties at the subregional level under LAKI Collaborating with partner organizations and experts within the NWP thematic expert groups as well as with partner organizations of LAKI and the UN Climate Change and Universities Partnership Programme on new and existing adaptation initiatives The SBSTA concluded its stocktake of the operational and institutional modalities of the NWP and agreed, on the basis of the outcomes of the stocktake, to strengthen the role of the NWP by implementing the following actions in the context of its modalities with a view to enhancing its performance and effectiveness in addressing the knowledge needs of all Parties, in particular developing countries, including the LDCs and small island developing States, relevant to implementing the Paris Agreement : Enhancing country- and region-specific actions by strengthening the implementation of the modalities of the NWP referred to in paragraph 15 of SBSTA 56 conclusions, including by scaling up LAKI in all regions, including additional subregions, ensuring regional balance, with a view to identifying and closing knowledge gaps in partnership with subregional partners and networks (Para 16 (a)).
2021: SBSTA 52-55	The SBSTA welcomed the secretariat’s continued collaboration with NWP partner organizations on bridging priority knowledge gaps in the context of the LAKI, in particular the implementation of the second phase of the Initiative in the Gulf Cooperation Council and North Africa subregions, and also welcomed the organization of the priority-setting workshop for SIDS in the Pacific (Para 23).
2019: SBSTA 50	The SBSTA welcomed the collaboration of NWP partner organizations and relevant organizations on bridging priority knowledge gaps in the context of the LAKI and welcomed the continued partnerships, including the collaboration of universities around the world with governments and communities on the ground to help validate information and communicate knowledge gaps in locally relevant ways (Para 26).
2018: SBSTA 48	The SBSTA welcomed the mobilization of global and regional partners to identify, communicate and bridge priority knowledge gaps in six subregions as part of the pilot phase of the LAKI (Para 14). The SBSTA welcomed the next phase of LAKI, which is being undertaken with a view to narrowing the priority adaptation knowledge gaps identified in the six subregions and scaling up to additional subregions (Para 17).
2017: SABSTA 47	The SBSTA welcomed the priority-setting workshops for six subregions under the LAKI. They were organized by the secretariat in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme and other partner organizations as a joint action pledge under the NWP. The SBSTA also welcomed the significant efforts made under the pilot phase of LAKI and supported the enhancement of communication in the next phase of LAKI to further raise awareness (Para 21).
2016: SBSTA 45	The SBSTA further welcomed the organization of priority-setting workshops for five subregions under the LAKI, with two focusing on the LDCs, two on Africa and one on small island developing States, and in particular two recent workshops for the Hindu Kush Himalayan region and Indian Ocean island countries in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the International Water Management Institute, respectively. In addition, it welcomed the commitment of the United Nations Environment Programme, through its Global Adaptation Network, to engage with partners in order to scale up the LAKI in other subregions with a view to removing knowledge gaps, which are barriers to adaptation action (Para 17).
2015: SBSTA 43	The SBSTA noted the information provided by UNEP and welcomed the ongoing work under the LAKI, in particular the successful organization of the priority-setting workshops in the Gulf Cooperation Council subregion and in the Southern Africa subregion. It welcomed the commitment of UNEP, through its Global Adaptation Network, to implementing the LAKI in other subregions in 2016, in response to the conclusions of SBSTA 41 (Para 13).
2014: SBSTA 41	The SBSTA welcomed the LAKI and its Andean subregional pilot, launched by UNEP as its action pledge under the Nairobi work programme, for prioritizing and catalysing responses to subregion-and theme-specific adaptation knowledge needs, and encouraged the replication of this initiative in other subregions, particularly in vulnerable developing countries such as the LDCs, small island developing States and in Africa (Para 19).

To get involved in the LAKI, please contact us at nwp@unfccc.int or on Twitter