Local Adaptation Plans of Action

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Local Adaptation Plans of Action (LAPAs)

What LAPAs are
LAPAs are community-driven plans that help local governments and communities build resilience to climate change. They focus on areas that are especially vulnerable to climate impacts like floods, droughts, or extreme weather.

How LAPAs work
- They use a participatory process. Local people and stakeholders help identify climate risks and weaknesses.
- Based on this input, adaptation options are identified and a plan is created to implement them.

What LAPAs include
- Water management improvements
- Better early warning systems for disasters
- Climate-resilient crop varieties
- Infrastructure to protect against sea-level rise or flooding
- Other locally relevant adaptation actions

Who runs and funds LAPAs
- The process is often facilitated by national or international organizations.
- Funding may come from international climate adaptation funds or development programs.

Relationship to NAPAs
- LAPAs use a bottom-up, local approach, unlike some top-down plans.
- They can be funded through similar development assistance schemes.
- LAPAs are usually prepared at the local government level, but community-based LAPAs exist too.

Origin and examples
- LAPAs began in Nepal, guided by the Ministry of Population and Environment, the country’s UNFCCC focal point.
- Nepal’s LAPAs are designed to be participatory, involving women, youth, and marginalized groups in identifying risks and planning actions.
- The process includes vulnerability and risk assessment, identifying options, and prioritizing actions.
- International support has come from organizations like UNDP, the World Bank, and the Global Environment Facility, providing technical help, funding, and capacity building.

A notable example
- Kailali district in Nepal involved more than 1,000 community members to identify and prioritize actions such as building river embankments, constructing check dams, and improving flood early warning systems.