How to Turn National Adaptation Plans into Local Action in Brazil, India and Indonesia

A World Resources Institute (WRI) study analyzes the barriers to implementing National Adaptation Plans at the local level in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. The report identifies fragmented governance, uneven technical capacity, and limited access to finance and localized data as primary obstacles. It argues that effective adaptation requires 'vertical integration,' where national resources support local implementation and local priorities inform national decision-making.

• Fragmented governance and weak coordination between national and subnational governments hinder adaptation in Brazil, India, and Indonesia. In Brazil, coordination is inconsistent despite a legal framework, while India lacks a common framework linking national priorities to district-level implementation. Indonesia faces overlapping mandates due to a proliferation of policies and instruments without a clear hierarchy of authority.
• Technical and institutional capacity is uneven across government levels in all three countries. Many subnational governments lack the staffing and tools for effective implementation. Brazil sees significant variation between municipalities; India faces gaps in vulnerability assessments and block-level climate data; and Indonesia's subnational governments often struggle with complex reporting requirements, leading to procedural compliance rather than risk integration.
• Access to adaptation finance is limited by a lack of localized climate data and inconsistent monitoring systems. In Brazil, smaller municipalities lack neighborhood-level risk data, and there is a need to simplify bureaucratic processes to access capital. India's data gaps deter private sector investment, while Indonesia's adaptation finance is fragmented and smaller than mitigation finance because projects are perceived as less commercially attractive.

APA

World Resources Institute (2026). How to Turn National Adaptation Plans into Local Action in Brazil, India and Indonesia. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/national-local-climate-adaptation-brazil-india-indonesia

Chicago

World Resources Institute. How to Turn National Adaptation Plans into Local Action in Brazil, India and Indonesia. 2026. https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/national-local-climate-adaptation-brazil-india-indonesia.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=How to Turn National Adaptation Plans into Local Action in Brazil, India and Indonesia |date=29 June 2026 |url=https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/national-local-climate-adaptation-brazil-india-indonesia |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2026how, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{How to Turn National Adaptation Plans into Local Action in Brazil, India and Indonesia}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://www.wri.org/technical-perspectives/national-local-climate-adaptation-brazil-india-indonesia}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }