Conference ends with declaration on finance for community-based adaptation to climate change

The Kathmandu Declaration says:

• Funding must reach local communities and target the most vulnerable. Financing local adaptation can only succeed if it is led by the most vulnerable and disadvantaged countries and communities, tailoring approaches to context-specific needs, and capitalising on communities' values and strengths
• The needs and priorities of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities and groups, including the poor, women, children, youth, indigenous people, landless people, persons with disabilities, whose capacity should be strengthened to access resources for adaptation should be programmatically prioritised
• Stakeholders must be able to access information about availability, deployment and utilisation of adaptation funding to ensure mutual accountability and transparency, including tracking financial flows at all stages
• There is a need to guard against maladaptation. Strong environmental and social safeguards and robust multi-stakeholder consultation processes are required to ensure that adaptation interventions do not increase the vulnerability both within and across national borders, and limit the wellbeing and choices of future generations.

It includes further recommendations for strengthening international and national finance for local adaptation, and for promoting private sector investments in community-based adaptation.

Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, welcomed the Kathmandu Declaration and said current funding for adaptation was "pathetically insufficient". She urged countries to include community-based adaptation in their National Adaptation Plans.

Read the full Kathmandu Declaration on Financing Local Adaptation to Climate Change.

More details on CBA8: www.CBA8.org