Deadline: 30-Apr-21
The Adaptation Fund has launched a new USD 10 million pilot small grants programme (Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator, AFCIA) to foster innovation in adaptation in developing countries at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP25) in Madrid.
Two of the Adaptation Fund’s accredited Multilateral Implementing Entities (MIEs), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), have been selected as implementing entities of the AFCIA. The Climate Technology Centre and Network (CTCN) works in conjunction with UNEP, receiving USD 5 million to administrate and aggregate 25 micro-grants projects (up to USD 250,000 each).
The primary objective of the AFCIA administrated by UNEP-CTCN is to support developing countries to test, evaluate, roll out and scale up innovative adaptation practices, products and technologies. Based on technical assistance services, 25 micro-grants projects will be implemented for 5 years to enhance climate resilience and adapt to climate change in the countries. Moreover, the AFCIA will facilitate knowledge sharing and the exchange of best practices, strengthening opportunities of South-South and triangular cooperation on innovation in adaptation among the countries.
Adaptation innovation and associated sectors
The following three elements will be considered in identifying and assessing innovation in adaptation technologies.
- A new, existing or improved technology
- A hard or soft technology
- A scalable technology
Example of adaptation sectors in the AFCIA includes:
- Agriculture
- Coastal zone management
- Disaster risk reduction
- Food security
- Forests
- Human health
- Marine and fishery
- Rural development (resilience)
- Urban development (resilience)
- Water management
Innovative approaches to support developing countries to pursue their strategies for climate change adaptation (e.g. ecosystem-based adaptation, urban adaptation, water and sanitation, etc.) and/or address their challenges to environmental resilience (e.g. natural disaster risk management, COVID-19 pandemic, etc.) will be able to be implemented through the AFCIA.
Eligibility Criteria
- The AFCIA will provide small grants to developing countries to support innovation for effective, long-term adaptation to climate change and is part of the Adaptation Fund’s Innovation Facility. UNEP-CTCN will conduct technical assistance, implementing micro-grants projects in developing countries on a competitive basis.
- The eligible countries in the AFCIA include developing countries in Africa, Asia-Pacific and Latin America and Caribbean under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that do not have National Implementing Entities (NIEs) accredited with the Adaptation Fund. Among them, priority will be given to Least Developed Countries (LDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). A list of eligible countries including LDCs and SIDS is presented as below:
- LDCs: Afghanistan, Angola, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cambodia, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Eritrea, Gambia, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Togo, Yemen, Zambia.
- SIDS: Bahamas, Bahrain, Barbados, Cabo Verde, Cuba, Dominica, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles, Singapore, Suriname, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago.
- Both LDCs and SIDS: Comoros, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti, Kiribati, Sao Tome and Principe, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu.
- Other: Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bolivia (Plurinational State of), Botswana, Brazil, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, China, Colombia, Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eswatini, Gabon, Georgia, Ghana, Guatemala, Honduras, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Paraguay, Philippines, Qatar, Republic of Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, State of Palestine, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), Viet Nam.
For more information, visit https://www.ctc-n.org/adaptation-fund-climate-innovation-accelerator-afcia-unep-ctcn