Executive summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of human systems and the fragility of society to systemic shocks, providing a stark reminder of the importance of building resilience into development pathways. Despite continuous warnings from scientists on the risk of a global pandemic, the level of preparedness for the COVID-19 crisis was inadequate. The same can hold true for the known risks associated with climate change.

Strengthening Climate Resilience aims to support governments of developing countries and providers of development co-operation in strengthening the resilience of human and natural systems to the impacts of climate change. This guidance highlights three overall aspirations for consideration when planning and implementing action on climate resilience (Chapter 2). It also outlines four mechanisms (Chapter 3) and three enablers (Chapter 4) in support of climate resilience.

Proposed sets of actions are provided in the form of two checklists at the end of the Executive summary. The checklists are informed by the discussion and detailed actions presented in Chapters 3 and 4. They build on the wealth of knowledge products (tools, guidelines and compilations of good practice) available to governments and development co-operation when formulating and implementing climate resilience measures.

Aspire to a country-owned, inclusive, environmentally and socially sustainable approach

Emphasis on country ownership highlights the role of individual countries in determining their own climate resilience priorities, reflecting the nature of the climate risks they face and the broader development objectives. Development co-operation plays an important role in supporting country-owned and –led processes for climate resilience. Evidence suggests that country ownership can increase the effectiveness of development co-operation for climate resilience and broader sustainable development; failure to include this consideration can result in unintended and even adverse outcomes.

A focus on inclusive approaches is central to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. People marginalised due to their gender, race, age, (dis)ability or other socio-demographic factors are often more vulnerable to climate risks. They tend to have greater exposure to climate hazards and face broader socio-economic and political challenges, as well as constraints to their capacity to manage climate risks. Progress for one group on climate resilience must not compromise that of another. An inclusive approach can facilitate the participation of those most vulnerable to the impacts from climate change in decision-making processes that directly affect their climate resilience.

Consideration of environmental sustainability is needed to make sure that approaches to strengthening climate resilience do not further increase environmental pressures locally, nationally and internationally. The role of the natural environment in strengthening climate resilience is also increasingly recognised, as exemplified by the growing application of nature-based solutions. A focus on social sustainability complements environmental sustainability by emphasising that climate resilience initiatives must also consider the broader well-being of current and future generations.

Strengthen key mechanisms for action and sustainable results

An effective governance arrangement provides the foundation on which a government can co-ordinate action on climate resilience across sectors and levels of government. A governance arrangement should also facilitate inclusive decision making informed by the needs of those most vulnerable to climate risks. A governance arrangement that supports adaptive decision making in the context of climate change can help governments adjust their approaches over time by facilitating continuous learning. Adaptive governance can benefit from diverse perspectives, data and information on climate-related hazards, exposure and vulnerability, and approaches to manage the climate risks.

Climate risks are in many cases sector-specific. National climate resilience objectives must therefore be mainstreamed into sectoral development policies. Ministries responsible for climate policies and their development partners should also draw on the expertise of colleagues within respective sectors when formulating climate resilience strategies, policies and plans. Well-tested tools such as environmental assessments can also help governments and development co-operation ensure that sectoral policies, plans and projects are climate resilient.

Integration of climate risks into financial management determines how, when, to whom and by whom finance will be allocated, provided or mobilised for climate resilience. Governments and development co-operation are increasingly aware of the benefits of combining multiple types of financial mechanisms and instruments. This allows them to pursue a more comprehensive approach to strengthen the climate resilience of people, nature and the built environment.

Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) can support an iterative and adaptive approach to climate resilience informed by good practices and lessons learnt. It can also inform countries’ own accountability mechanisms on progress made on climate resilience. Governments and development co-operation providers need to tailor their MEL frameworks to the priorities of the climate resilience interventions, the objectives of the MEL, the data and information available, and the uncertainty surrounding the nature of climate risks, as well as the associated socio-economic contexts.

Invest in enablers for action on climate resilience

Weather, water and climate data and information, and the underlying infrastructure that supports and distributes them, are critical building blocks to guide decision making by state- and non-state actors. Governments and development co-operation play an important role in investing in institutions and infrastructure to produce accurate and legitimate data and information that can guide action, and enhancing users’ capacity in accessing and using them.

Greater awareness, as well as institutional and individual capacities, drive climate action, and capacity constraints can be important barriers to implementation. Development co-operation and governments need to accelerate efforts to strengthen the capacity of people and organisations to understand the climate science and the possible impacts of climate change, and to design and implement national, sub-national and sectoral policies, plans and projects for climate resilience.

Technologies are also essential for action on climate resilience, but their characteristics should match the needs and available resources of users and their socio-economic and environmental contexts. Governments and development co-operation can further support technology-related institutions and their networks, and enhance supply- and demand-side policies. This support can foster research, development, adoption and dissemination of technology across and within countries.

Table 1. Checklist for national and sub-national governments
ACTIONS	Relevant section
Multi-level governance and policy cycles	Section 3.1
✓ Build and maintain an inclusive governance arrangement that facilitates effective stakeholder engagement for transparent, participatory and gender-responsive decision making on climate resilience.
✓ Empower local action by facilitating co-ordination and collaboration across levels of governance, and ensure that climate resilience strategies at national and sub-national levels are complementary and mutually reinforcing.
✓ Develop governance arrangements that support adaptive decision-making processes for climate resilience in the context of the uncertainties presented by climate change.
✓ Integrate climate risks and opportunities throughout the country’s policy cycle for sustainable development, making use of the National Adaptation Plan processes where relevant.
Sector-level approaches to strengthening climate resilience	Section 3.2
✓ Establish clear linkages between a country’s national-level climate goals and sector-level policies and plans on climate resilience.
✓ Assess sector-specific climate hazards, analyse the exposure and vulnerability of key assets, stakeholders and natural capital within the sector, and identify actions to manage the climate risks, especially those to segments of society marginalised by e.g. their gender, race, age, (dis)ability and class identities.
✓ Assess sector investment plans using suitable screening criteria and tools given the nature of the climate risks and broader socio-economic priorities (e.g. gender equality and social inclusion).
✓ Use environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments to systematically evaluate the environmental implications of the proposed sector-level policies, plans and projects on climate resilience.
✓ Make the financial sector climate resilient by engaging with domestic financial institutions and regulators.
Financial management and instruments	Section 3.3
✓ Identify climate resilience priorities and assess the associated financial needs.
✓ Integrate climate resilience into public financial management (e.g. public investment, fiscal risk management, budget tagging and expenditure review, social protection, tax and subsidy reforms to generate resources for climate resilience).
✓ Elevate the role of finance ministries in facilitating the prioritisation, provision and mobilisation of finance for climate resilience.
✓ Maximise the benefits of risk insurance solutions as part of a comprehensive approach to manage climate risks.
✓ Link action on financial inclusion and education with action on climate resilience.
✓ Facilitate access of national and sub-national government entities, civil society and other domestic actors to climate finance from external sources.
✓ Engage with the private sector to scale up investment in climate resilience (e.g. through policy reforms, knowledge exchange, capacity development, public-private partnerships and climate risk disclosure).
Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)	Section 3.4
✓ Invest in a national MEL system and the human and technical capacities required for it to respond to monitoring, evaluation and learning needs, including for climate resilience.
✓ Through stakeholder consultation, identify the objectives of a MEL framework and put in place mechanisms that facilitate a transparent and iterative approach to climate resilience guided by learning.
✓ Complement understanding of what changes are taking place with how those changes have come about, and how policy shifts can strengthen climate resilience.
✓ Engage diverse stakeholders to determine data and information available as well as existing gaps, and develop indicators commensurate with the human and financial resources available.
✓ Explore opportunities for aligning monitoring and reporting with existing MEL systems that may provide opportunities for aggregating data and information across sectors or levels of government.
Data and information for implementation	Section 4.1
✓ Strengthen the institutional capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.
✓ Invest in weather, water and climate observations as a basis for data and information services that can inform climate risk assessments and climate resilience decision-making processes.
✓ Prioritise investments in forecasting and early warning systems with user friendly platforms.
✓ Facilitate participatory approaches to understanding local climate risks, and tailor climate and weather data and information to the capacities of intended users.
Awareness and capacity across levels of government	Section 4.2
✓ Strengthen individual and organisational capacity (including that of sectoral ministries, sub-national governments, universities and centres of excellence) to understand and address climate risks.
✓ Establish the authority and mandate of the ministry, agency or unit in charge of climate resilience to convene different stakeholders and to co-ordinate and subsequently see through the implementation of agreed climate resilience priorities.
✓ Support piloting of climate resilience approaches, complement these with clear exit strategies, and enhance capacities and institutions for sustained implementation, replication or scale-up.
Technologies	Section 4.3
✓ Assess technology needs through consultation with different stakeholders based on multiple economic, social and environmental criteria, including gender-disaggregated needs for technologies.
✓ Invest in institutional arrangements and networks to facilitate development, adoption and dissemination of technologies in support of climate resilience.
✓ Harness local and Indigenous peoples’ knowledge and understanding of local contexts to maximise the effectiveness of available technologies.
✓ Strengthen supply- and demand-side policies to promote technology development and dissemination.
Note: Actions in this list are indicative and some of them may not be relevant to all countries.

Table 2. Checklist for development co-operation
ACTIONS	Relevant section
Multi-level governance and policy cycles	Section 3.1
✓ Engage in dialogues across levels of governance to identify areas where development co-operation can better support partner countries in strengthening climate resilience.
✓ Support the development of institutional arrangements for stakeholder participation to promote inclusive, transparent and gender-responsive decision making, as well as knowledge exchange on climate resilience approaches.
✓ Support partner countries to establish or enhance adaptive decision-making processes for climate resilience in the context of the uncertainties presented by climate change.
✓ Work with partner countries to develop or strengthen governance arrangements that enhance policy coherence between climate resilience and other development agendas, and financially support them where relevant.
✓ Support partner countries to systematically assess climate-related hazards, exposure and vulnerability and to integrate the results through the country’s policy cycles, and do the same in the development of country programmes.
Sector-level approaches to strengthening climate resilience	Section 3.2
✓ Align development co-operation policies with sectoral priorities for climate resilience set by the partner country.
✓ Assess the climate resilience of sector-specific development interventions using suitable screening criteria and tools given the nature of the climate risks and broader socio-economic priorities (e.g. gender equality and social inclusion).
✓ Use environmental impact assessments and strategic environmental assessments to systematically evaluate the environmental implications of the development co-operation interventions (e.g. projects and policy support).
✓ Support partner countries and their financial regulators in promoting knowledge exchange and capacity development for actors within the financial sector to better understand and manage climate risks and disclose related information.
Financial management and instruments	Section 3.3
✓ Provide partner countries with technical support in assessing costs of actions to strengthen climate resilience.
✓ Support the integration of climate resilience considerations into public financial management (e.g. budget tagging and expenditure reviews, financial protection strategies, subsidy and tax reforms).
✓ Support partner countries in identifying, piloting and applying financial instruments and mechanisms, and where relevant, provide or catalyse finance for climate resilience initiatives.
✓ Link development co-operation for financial inclusion with those for climate resilience.
✓ Support capacity development initiatives to enhance access to climate finance, particularly in least developed countries and Small Island Developing States, as well as by local governments and civil society organisations.
✓ Promote private-sector investment in climate resilience through e.g. blended finance, technical assistance for improving policy environments and capacity building in climate risk assessment and project development.
Monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL)	Section 3.4
✓ Align development co-operation MEL frameworks with national MEL systems and invest in local capacities to further develop existing systems and related capabilities.
✓ Through stakeholder consultation, identify the key questions the MEL framework will address and support partner countries to develop a portfolio of complementary MEL tools for climate resilience.
✓ Explore opportunities for aligning monitoring and reporting with established guidelines and standards that provide opportunities for aggregating data and information at the programme, national or international level.
✓ Build on the data available to monitor and evaluate climate resilience and support partner countries to identify and address potential gaps consistent with the human and financial resources available.
✓ Conduct a portfolio and qualitative content analysis to determine if the allocation of financial commitments reflects organisational priorities on climate change and supports partner countries in achieving set objectives.
Data and information for implementation	Section 4.1
✓ Align development co-operation interventions with partner countries’ domestic priorities for strengthening the capacity of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services, policy environments and financing models in support of weather and climate data, information and services.
✓ Provide technical and financial support to enhance weather, water and climate observations and services including the development and operation of forecasting and early warning systems.
✓ Support partner countries in enhancing their capacity to conduct climate risk assessments, e.g. through staff exchange, peer learning or dedicated financing schemes.
✓ Facilitate participatory approaches to understanding local climate risks, and tailor climate and weather services to the capacities and constraints of users, including groups marginalised by e.g. their gender, race, age, (dis)ability and class identities.
Awareness and capacity across levels of government	Section 4.2
✓ Support partner countries in strengthening individual and organisational capacity (e.g. sectoral ministries, sub-national governments, universities and other centres of excellence) to understand and address climate risks.
✓ Support piloting of approaches to strengthening climate resilience with a focus on their sustained implementation, and future replication and scale-up.
✓ Strengthen the providers’ own capacity to further improve their development co-operation interventions in support of climate resilience.
Technologies	Section 4.3
✓ Provide technical assistance for assessing the needs of partner countries for technologies in support of climate resilience, based on multiple economic, social and environmental criteria, including gender equality and social inclusion.
✓ Support partner countries in establishing or strengthening domestic institutions and networks that facilitate the development, adoption and dissemination of technologies between or within countries.
✓ Promote development and piloting of innovative technologies through dedicated interventions, e.g. in collaboration with the partner country’s government, the private sector, academic institutions and financial institutions.
✓ Support partner countries in developing or strengthening supply- and demand-side policies to promote technology development and dissemination.
Note: Actions in this list are indicative and some of them may not be relevant to all development co-operation providers.