The allocation of adaptation funding

Providing additional finance for adaptation is a key element of the emerging international climate change framework. This paper discusses how adaptation funding may be allocated among developing countries in a transparent, efficient and equitable way. We propose an approach based on three criteria: the climate change impact experienced in a country, a country’s adaptive (or social) capacity and its implementation capacity. Rough indicators are proposed for each of these three dimensions. Physical impact and adaptive capacity together determine a country’s vulnerability to climate change. It seems both efficient and fair that countries which are more vulnerable should have a stronger claim on adaptation resources. The third dimension, implementation capacity, introduces a measure of adaptation effectiveness. It makes sense to focus adaptation finance on countries with the capacity to use these resources efficiently.