Beyond the principles: does locally led adaptation deliver?

Locally led adaptation (LLA) works, but funders continue to cite a lack of evidence as a barrier to scaling up. New IIED research shows the issue is not whether LLA is effective, but how inconsistently that effectiveness is documented. 

We developed an LLA Evidence and Impact Framework and applied it to 106 academic and grey literature sources on local-level adaptation. We found that, where projects are properly evaluated, more than 80% show ‘substantive’ or ‘robust’ evidence of both genuine local leadership and verified impact. 

This briefing sets out the key findings: where the evidence base is strongest, where the documentation gaps lie, and how funders and policymakers can now deploy the framework to close those gaps and hold future investments to a clear, transparent evidence standard.