Background

Developing countries are projected to need hundreds of billions of US dollars annually by 2030 to adapt to the escalating impacts of climate change, far above the levels of international public adaptation finance currently being accessed. In the MENA and South Asia regions, more countries are submitting their first National Adaptation Plans (NAPs), with several already including dedicated financing strategies. However, turning these plans into concrete action requires much stronger and more predictable access to adaptation finance.

In 2024, the UNFCCC Executive Secretary launched the NAP 3.0 initiative to accelerate progress in NAP formulation and implementation, with a strong focus on mobilizing a broader range of finance and promoting innovative financing approaches. Building on an earlier regional dialogue held on 6 March 2025, where countries highlighted the importance of capacity-building and stakeholder coordination, this follow-up dialogue will focus specifically on how to unlock and scale up finance for NAP implementation in MENA and South Asia, in line with the updated NAP technical guidelines developed by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG).

Objectives

The dialogue, organized by UNFCCC–WGEO Regional Collaboration Centre for MENA and South Asia (RCC MENA SA), with support from partners, aims to:

• Take stock of the current adaptation finance landscape for NAP formulation and implementation in MENA and South Asia, including key support and capacity gaps.

• Facilitate knowledge exchange by showcasing scalable country experiences, best practices and lessons learned in mobilizing finance for NAP implementation.

• Strengthen collaboration between governments, financial institutions, development partners and other support providers to improve access to adaptation finance.

• Identify opportunities and entry points to enhance access to a wider range of financial sources and instruments to support NAP implementation.

Expected outcomes

By the end of the dialogue, participants are expected to:

• Have an enhanced understanding of challenges and support gaps that hinder access to adequate finance for NAP formulation and implementation in the region.

• Become familiar with concrete examples of successful approaches and emerging best practices for financing adaptation priorities identified in NAPs.

• Identify potential areas for follow-up engagement, including technical support, partnerships and coordination among countries, funds, multilateral development banks and other partners.

• Contribute inputs that can help inform the ongoing work under the NAP 3.0 initiative and the use of the updated NAP technical guidelines in the region.

Target audience

The dialogue is intended for participants from:

• Government representatives from MENA and South Asia involved in NAPs, adaptation planning, climate finance and related policy processes.

• National designated authorities (NDAs) and focal points to international climate funds and mechanisms.

• Representatives of international and regional financial institutions, including climate funds, multilateral development banks and other public and private financiers.

• UN agencies, bilateral and multilateral development partners, and other organizations providing technical and financial support for NAP formulation and implementation.

• Experts and practitioners engaged in adaptation planning, climate finance and related capacity-building in MENA and South Asia.

The full concept note, including the detailed agenda and speakers, will be updated soon on this page (see Related Information button)