National Framework for Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPAs)

This Framework is prepared to provide the effective delivery of adaptation services to the most climate vulnerable areas and people of Nepal. It supports the design of new and implementation of existing Local Adaptation Plans for Action (LAPAs) that have already been designed and piloted. It is expected to help integrate climate adaptation and resilience aspects in local and national plans. 

The main entry points to the LAPA are as follows: 1) Agriculture, 2) Forestry, 3) Health, 4) Water and sanitation, 5) Watersheds, 6) Microfinance, 7) Education, 8) Infrastructure, 9) Disasters. The guiding principles of the Framework are that the process of integrating climate adaptation and resilience into local and national planning is both bottom-up, inclusive, responsive and flexible. 

The Framework supports the following activities from local to national level planning: 1) Identify the most climate-vulnerable Village Development Committee, municipality, wards and communities and their adaptation challenges and opportunities, 2) Identify and prioritise adaptation actions in easy ways whereby local communities make the prioritisation decisions about their needs, 3) Prepare LAPA and integrate it into local and national plans in accordance with the Local Self-Governance Act, 4) Identify and mobilise appropriate service delivery agents and necessary resources for the implementation of the LAPA, 5) Adopt and/or implement adaptation actions sequentially by the service providers in a timely and resource efficient manner, 6) Conduct monitoring and evaluation by ensuring effective implementation of the plan for action, 7) Identify cost-effective adaptation alternatives for scaling up into local and national planning The LAPA Framework consists of the following steps for the LAPA formulation and implementation: 1) Climate change sensitisation, 2) Climate vulnerability and adaptation assessment, 3) Prioritisation of adaptation options, 4) LAPA formulation, 5) LAPA integration into planning and processes, 6) LAPA implementation, 7) LAPA progress assessment.