What counts? The state of evidence of outcomes of locally led adaptation

This report responds directly to a call from financiers for better and more nuanced evidence on the outcomes of locally led adaptation. The report 1) takes stock of the ways in which locally led adaptation initiatives have demonstrated that they can build climate resilience, 2) examines the divides that have prevented the uptake of evidence by funders, and 3) recommends actions that can boost financial support and continue to build knowledge about what works in locally led adaptation.

The report recommends actions to help bridge divides. The recommendations build on a central tenet: Generating evidence on locally led adaptation is valuable for all, and it is essential for enabling transparency, fostering accountability, aiding learning, and strengthening sustainability of adaptation action. Key among the recommendations are:

• Adaptation funders and host governments should recognise and use existing evidence to channel funding towards locally led adaptation by building on strengths, including Indigenous and local ways of knowing. At the same time, they should provide additional funding to produce evidence by adopting a dual-track approach that serves both their decision-making needs and those of communities.
• Knowledge producers and other actors on the ground should continue to generate knowledge as an integral part of the adaptation mission and champion such efforts to serve aims beyond funder requirements. They should fill key knowledge gaps and synthesise evidence of LLA outcomes for uptake in national and global assessment processes, focusing particular on ethical co-production and synthesis of Indigenous and local knowledge.