NAP Expos: Promoting Exchange of Experiences and Fostering Partnerships
The NAP Expos are annual outreach events organized by the Least Developed Countries Expert Group (LEG) under the UNFCCC in collaboration with relevant partners. Since their inception in 2013, the Expos have promoted the exchange of experiences and fostered partnerships between a wide range of actors on advancing National Adaptation Plans (NAPs). i
Each year, NAP Expos gather a diversity of Party and non-Party actors to offer a platform for these actors to showcase ground-breaking adaptation initiatives and foster partnerships on adaptation to climate change. They also serve as a venue to discuss challenges encountered by countries, best practices and lessons learned, and emerging gaps and needs for further action.
Background
Over the past seven years, the Expos have demonstrated growing evidence of effective adaptation solutions, revealed good practices and successes, and offered valuable insights on accelerating adaptation action around the globe.
Adaptation solutions showcased throughout the Expos include a seed bank that holds and preserves duplicate samples of various seeds from around the world; stress tolerant crops and livestock breeds; and restoration of ecosystems through rainwater harvesting, sustainable agriculture, soil regeneration and agro-forestry. NAP Expos have also powerfully illustrated how information and communications technologies are increasingly playing an important role in climate change adaptation.
Participants at the NAP Expos form part of an expanding climate change adaptation community, which provides access to a wealth of experience generated over the years.ii Among those engaging in the Expos are policy-makers, experts and researchers from countries; expert groups, committees and programmes under the UNFCCC; the Green Climate Fund and the Global Environment Facility; United Nations organizations; international organizations; bilateral and multilateral agencies; global and regional support programmes; regional centres and networks; and the private sector.
Objectives & Themes
The overall objective of the NAP Expos is to raise adaptation ambition by advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs. This includes the specific objectives of:
- Facilitating the interaction between country NAP teams and support providers—including the Green Climate Fund, Global Environment Facility and Adaptation Fund, as well as bilateral agencies—to enhance access to financing for NAPs;
- Creating an interactive global forum on NAPs for countries to share experience, best practices and lessons learned; for different organizations and bodies to conduct specialized meetings and workshops; and for Parties and non-Party stakeholders to interact, in advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs;
- Serving as the global platform to advance technical and practical measures towards the production of first NAPs by 2020 and their effective implementation.
NAP Expos cover several key themes each year, including the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of NAPs; finance for climate change adaptation initiatives at national and local levels; integration of the NAP process with other global processes such as those under the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals, and the Sendai Framework; stakeholder engagement and participatory processes; and local level adaptation actions.
The Expos also provide countries knowledge and information on different types of support, including how to access support through different technical and financial support agencies. For example, the Green Climate Fund conducts sessions, as a partner, on improving the countries’ understanding of accessing funding for NAPs from the fund. These sessions allow countries and the various partners to interact face-to-face to discuss enduring support needs how to effectively meet those needs.
Global to Regional
Stemming from the continued success of the global NAP Expos, regional NAP Expos were introduced in 2017 with the objective of advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs. The objectives of regional NAP expos mirror those of the global Expos, and include updating stakeholders on the latest guidance on advancing the formulation and implementation of NAPs in the region; discussing country experiences, best practices, lessons learned, gaps and needs and support related to NAPs; and offering a platform for countries to interact with support providers to improve access to financing for NAPs.
To date, regional NAP Expos have been organized in Asia, Africa and Latin America in countries such as Republic of Korea, Uganda, and Panama.
NAP Expo 2019
The NAP Expo in 2019 was held in Songdo, Republic of Korea from 8 to 12 April. It was conducted as part of the Korea Global Adaptation Week, and included the Adaptation Forum organized by the Adaptation Committee, and a regional Technical Expert Meeting on Adaptation organized by the Green Climate Fund. iii It also offered a space for exhibitions showcasing progress on adaptation in countries as well as relevant activities and support by organizations.
Additional details on NAP Expo 2019, including speakers and sessions, is available at the NAP Expo 2019 website.
Information on past Expos are available at:
