Source · Select Committees · International Development Committee
Recommendation 29
29
We heard that capacity-building at a local level was hampered by weak digital infrastructure,51 the...
Conclusion
We heard that capacity-building at a local level was hampered by weak digital infrastructure,51 the complex design of programmes52 and a lack of sufficient adjustment of projects to the needs of local communities.53 Furthermore, we were told that projects implemented in the Global South might appear to be running for longer in individual LDCs than they are. Julius Ng’oma gave us the example of a project funded by the Scottish Government, which had already been running for two years by the start of its implementation in Malawi.54 In his words: On paper, the project would appear to be for five years. Because it has some international attachments to it with international advocacy […], we tend to have a short-term project of three years. Two years have already been done, maybe in the UK or somewhere else. Then they want to get experience from Malawi […]. That has always been a problem.55
Government Response
Not Addressed
HM Government
Not Addressed
Government response: Agree The UK has a strong track record of promoting community-based or locally-led adaptation through previous programmes such as the Building Resilience and Adaptation to Climate Extremes and Disasters (BRACED, 2014–2019) which supported the establishment of County Climate Change funds in Kenya and various decentralised climate finance models in west Africa. On average our International Climate Finance programmes tend to last between 6–7 years. At COP26, we announced our intention to support LIFE AR for another 5 years (with options to potentially extend beyond this in support of the LDC 2030 vision). The UK and the Netherlands co-convened the Global Commission on Adaptation (2018– 21) and launched a ‘year of action’ (2019–20) which focussed specifically on locally-led adaptation and developed the “Principles for Locally-led Adaptation”. This established the LLA ‘Community of Practice’, a network of community and grassroots organisations designed to share best practice as well as promoting the Principles. After the Commission ended in January 2021, the UK Government provided additional funding for the 2021/22 financial year to ensure this Community of Practice is maintained beyond the life of the Commission and to ensure that the network continued to grow ahead of COP26, and beyond. The UK Government is also providing seedcorn funding to the Resilience and Adaptation Mainstreaming Programme (RAMP) to develop a global university network to provide training and services to central government ministries and build local capacity for adaptation planning. UK institutions engaged in this project include Oxford University, the School of Oriental and African Studies and University College London, as well as the Commonwealth Network of Universities. Founding members of the network include universities in Kenya, Jamacia, Tanzania, Vietnam, Bangladesh, and Ghana.