UNDP–AFCIA Impact Report (2020–2025): Global Climate Adaptation Outcomes in Developing Countries
SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 2: Zero Hunger | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB) | Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)
The UNDP-AFCIA Impact Report (2020-2025) underscores the vital role of locally led adaptation (LLA) in addressing climate change within vulnerable communities. Launched in 2019, the Adaptation Fund Climate Innovation Accelerator (AFCIA) has supported 44 initiatives across 33 countries, empowering NGOs, civil society organizations, and local innovators to scale context-specific solutions.
In India, the program has specifically targeted regions like the Sundarbans to combat flooding, saline intrusion, and water scarcity through nature-based and technology-driven interventions.
The program's success in India is anchored by two flagship initiatives:
Floating Farms in the Sundarbans (SAFE): The South Asian Forum for Environment (SAFE) established 500+ floating farms combining hydroponics and aquaculture. This initiative has generated $238,000 annually, supported 5,700 households, and restored 50+ hectares of coastal farmland. The model has been so successful it is being replicated in Bangladesh, Cambodia, and the Philippines.
Nature-Based Water Systems (SPARC): The Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) implemented sustainable water and sanitation systems to address urban and peri-urban water management challenges.
What is the ‘Adaptive Management’ approach used in India? It is a governance strategy that emphasizes continuous learning and responsiveness to local needs to ensure long-term sustainability. Instead of rigid project timelines, it allows local actors to pivot their methods based on real-time environmental data or community feedback. For instance, SAFE’s floating farms evolved through “farmer schools” and “organic hubs,” ensuring the technology was not just delivered but owned and refined by the 4,450 farmers and fishers trained under the program.
Policy Relevance
India’s participation in UNDP-AFCIA serves as a blueprint for domestic climate policy, emphasizing that resilience must be built from the ground up.
Mainstreaming Scalability: The SAFE model demonstrates that climate adaptation can be a revenue-generating engine; with projected earnings of $3.5 million annually from 5,000 farms by 2025, it offers a template for the National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA) to adopt commercial-scale floating farming.
Institutionalizing Flexibility: The "Adaptive Management" model demonstrates that climate policy is most effective when it allows for iterative adjustments, suggesting that the Ministry of Environment (MoEFCC) could benefit from incorporating more flexible, learning-oriented frameworks into state-level adaptation plans
Leveraging Indigenous Knowledge: The success of nature-based water systems highlights the need for the Ministry of Jal Shakti to incorporate indigenous water conservation practices into national urban planning frameworks.
Global Leadership: By exporting its “floating farm” technology to other APEC and South Asian economies, India is positioning itself as a global leader in South-South cooperation for climate adaptation.
Gender-Inclusive Adaptation: With 54% of global beneficiaries being women, the Indian initiatives align with the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) goals of prioritizing women’s leadership in disaster risk reduction.
Follow the full report here: UNDP-AFCIA Impact Report 2020-2025