Adaptation Fund

Climate Objective
Adaptation
Sectors and Themes
Agriculture
Cities
Disaster Risk Reduction
Economic Recovery
Energy
Forestry and Land Use
Gender
Industry and Infrastructure
Nature-based Solutions and Ecosystem Services
Oceans and Coasts
Rural Development
Transport
Waste Management
Water
Type of Support Provider
Multilateral
Type of Recipient
Public entity at the national level
Public entity at the sub-national level
Public entity at the regional level
International organization
Non-profit or civil society organization
Private sector
Community-level organization
Fund Size

more than US$ 850 million

Co-financing
No
Application Timeframe

The Adaptation Fund Board accepts and considers project and program proposals three times a year. The next submission deadline can be found on the calendar, on this website.

Trustee or Administrator
World Bank
Countries
Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cambodia
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Côte d'Ivoire
Cuba
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Fiji
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Ghana
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Israel
Jamaica
Jordan
Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Kuwait
Kyrgyz Republic
Laos
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Macedonia
Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia
Moldova
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar
Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
Niue
Oman
Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Qatar
Rwanda
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
South Korea
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Suriname
Syria
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu
Uganda
United Arab Emirates
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Yemen
Zambia
Zimbabwe

The Adaptation Fund finances projects and programmes that help vulnerable communities in developing countries adapt to climate change. Initiatives are based on country needs, views and priorities.

Since 2010, the Adaptation Fund has committed over 1 billion for climate change adaptation and resilience projects and programmes, including 150 concrete, localized projects in the most vulnerable communities of developing countries around the world with over 38 million total beneficiaries. It also pioneered Direct Access and Enhanced Direct Access, empowering countries to access funding and develop local projects directly through accredited national implementing entities.

Support Provider

Adaptation Fund (contributors: Austria, Belgium, Canada, the European Commission, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Monaco, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, United Nations Foundation)

Purpose of Support
Project and program implementation
Financial Instruments Offered
Grants
Monitoring and Reporting Procedures

Implementing entities are requested to report to the Adaptation Fund on the progress achieved at different stages of project implementation. More information about reporting requirements and formats here.

Organizational and Decision Making Structure

The Adaptation Fund is supervised and managed by the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB). The Board is composed of 16 members and 16 alternates and holds periodic meetings throughout the year.

The Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat provides research, advisory, administrative, and an array of other services to the Board.

The World Bank is the Adaptation Fund's Trustee.

Eligibility Criteria

To receive money directly from the Adaptation Fund, entities need to be accredited as an implementing entity. Implementing entities can be international (i.e. the World Bank), regional (i.e. the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program or SPREP) or national (i.e. a country’s environment ministry).

Only one national entity can be accredited per developing country. A list of currently accredited institutions can be found on the Adaptation Fund’s website.

Note that entities that prefer to not apply for accreditation have the option of partnering with an institution that is already accredited. For example, implementing entities often partner with smaller local organization to execute activities on the ground.

Eligible countries

Developing country members of the Kyoto Protocol. For a full list, please see the UNFCCC list of parties here.

Eligible Countries and Geographic Regions
Cook Islands
Niue
Cambodia
China
Fiji
Indonesia
Kiribati
South Korea
Laos
Malaysia
Marshall Islands
Micronesia
Mongolia
Myanmar
Nauru
Palau
Papua New Guinea
Philippines
Samoa
Singapore
Thailand
Timor-Leste
Tonga
Tuvalu
Vanuatu
Vietnam
Albania
Andorra
Armenia
Azerbaijan
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia
Kazakhstan
Kyrgyz Republic
Macedonia
Moldova
Montenegro
San Marino
Serbia
Tajikistan
Turkmenistan
Uzbekistan
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Grenada
Guatemala
Guyana
Haiti
Honduras
Jamaica
Mexico
Nicaragua
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Uruguay
Venezuela
Iran
Algeria
Bahrain
Djibouti
Egypt
Iraq
Israel
Jordan
Kuwait
Lebanon
Libya
Morocco
Oman
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Syria
Tunisia
United Arab Emirates
Yemen
Brunei
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Bhutan
India
Maldives
Nepal
Pakistan
Sri Lanka
Uganda
Benin
Botswana
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Comoros
Republic of Congo
Côte d'Ivoire
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Sao Tome and Principe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia
South Africa
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Solomon Islands
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Information on how to
Understand steps to access

To receive money directly from the Adaptation Fund, entities need to be accredited as an “implementing entity.” See section “Other eligibility criteria” for more details. Only one national entity can be accredited per developing country. Entities that prefer to not apply for accreditation have the option of partnering with an institution that is already accredited. For example, implementing entities often partner with smaller local organization to execute activities on the ground. Accreditation with the Adaptation Fund is valid for five years.

National and regional implementing entities fall under the Adaptation Fund’s Direct Access modality, which enables direct access to financing and management of all aspects of projects, from design through implementation, to monitoring and evaluation. Direct Access allows developing countries to strengthen capacity to adapt to climate change and build on local expertise. National entities with institutional capacity constrains have the option of obtaining accreditation via the Streamlined Accreditation Process. If successful they can access a smaller amount of funding than the usual, while working on strengthening their capacities to meet the accreditation requirements through the usual documentation, as appropriate.

Project Formulation Grants (PFGs) are available to accredited national implementing entities (NIEs) to build the capacity of NIEs in project preparation and design. NIEs that are in the concept development stage of the Fund’s project cycle process can request a PFG up to USD 30,000 together with their submission of the project concept to the Board.

Additionally, Project Formulation Assistance (PFA) grants of up to USD 20,000 are available to help NIEs tap into external expertise in the form of short-term consultant assignments to undertake specific technical assessments such as an environmental impact assessment (EIA), vulnerability assessment (VA), risk assessment, gender study, and other environmental and social assessments. The PFA grant application form can be requested when NIEs submit their project concepts during the two-step approval process.

Access national readiness support

Implementing entities can access Readiness Programme resources to help build their capacity to access climate finance.

Find an overview of the Adaptation Fund Readiness Programme here, and information on how to access readiness support here. 

 

Become an accredited entity

Organisations that wish to implement Adaptation Fund projects must submit an application for accreditation providing documentation indicating that it meets the fiduciary standards adopted by the Board.

In order to become accredited, entities are required to meet the legal and fiduciary standards adopted by the Board as detailed in the Operational Policies and Guidelines.

Access small-grant innovation support

Eligible Kyoto Protocol Parties may submit proposals for small-grant projects, using the services of accredited national implementing entities (NIEs). Projects should accelerate innovative adaptation practices, tools, and technologies.

Check here for updates on requests for proposals and application guidelines.

Develop strong concept notes and project proposals

Accredited entities that need support in project preparation can access Project Formulation Assistance (PFA) grants to receive support in project identification, concept development, and project structuring. Find an overview of PFA grants here.

Submit a Funding proposal

For those implementing entities that have their project defined, find an overview of how to bring a project proposal to the Adaptation Fund, from initial submission through to Board approval here.