CCRD assisted the governments* of Jamaican, Tanzania, and 11 West African countries to develop National Adaptation Plans (NAPS) following USAID's "development first" approach. *Cape Verde, Gambia, Nigeria, Benin, Togo, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Senegal, Tanzania, Ghana, and Jamaica.

The NAP process assists developing countries identify climate risks, adaptation needs, and capacity gaps. CCRD worked to mainstream adaptation options into national policy level plans. The NAPs approach developed for USAID was developed with inputs from the US Department of State and guidance from the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

National adaptation planning is a critical component of climate resilient development. While many adaptation actions will be taken at a local level, it is at the national level that priorities for development and adaptation are set, and coordination is conducted with donors. National governments also make many important decisions regarding taxes, expenditures, regulations, land-use, and other aspects of national policy making that can profoundly affect a nation’s development path. Thus, developing a national plan presents a critical opportunity for nations to incorporate increased resilience to climate change into national development.

USAID works in conjunction with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to support developing countries as they work to build climate change resilience through the UNFCCC’s National Adaptation Plan (NAP) process.

The National Adaptation Plans Compendium report assists policy makers, practitioners, and stakeholders understand the processes and approaches we used to support the design of several NAPs. The report also provides recommendations generated from stakeholders during three NAP workshops in Jamaica, Tanzania, and Ghana. These workshops were hosted by national governments and regional institutions in collaboration USAID to support the development of NAPs.