Bellagio Framework for Adaptation Assessment and Prioritization

The Bellagio Framework, developed by the World Resources Institute in 2009, provides a systematic approach to climate adaptation by identifying core functions all countries must perform. It categorizes these into planning, management, and service delivery functions to help governments and funders assess strengths, identify gaps, and coordinate investments.

• The Bellagio Framework is intended to serve as a tool for countries to identify gaps in their adaptation capacities, which in turn provides a basis for prioritizing investments and actions.
• A lack of a clearly defined set of national adaptation functions has led to confusion regarding the relationship between adaptation and development, hindering the political will to secure additional funding within the UNFCCC and other sources.
• The framework organizes national adaptation into three primary categories: Planning Functions (assessment, prioritization, and high-level coordination), Management Functions (information management, addressing incentives/barriers, and coordination across government levels), and Service Delivery Functions.
• Service Delivery Functions are further divided into three specific areas: Infrastructure Functions, Natural Resources Management, and Social Protection, each focusing on both reducing climate risk to existing systems and using those systems as climate solutions.
• The World Resources Institute is planning to further develop the framework by creating function-specific guidance, assessment questions for monitoring and evaluation, institutional analysis, and sector-based tools for areas such as health, agriculture, and water.
• A critical next step for the framework's implementation is to conduct a practical pilot assessment within a developing country.

APA

World Resources Institute (2009). Bellagio Framework for Adaptation Assessment and Prioritization. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/bellagio_framework_for_adaptation.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Bellagio Framework for Adaptation Assessment and Prioritization. 2009. http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/bellagio_framework_for_adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Bellagio Framework for Adaptation Assessment and Prioritization |date=March 2009 |url=http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/bellagio_framework_for_adaptation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2009bellagio, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Bellagio Framework for Adaptation Assessment and Prioritization}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2009}, month = mar, url = {http://wriorg.s3.amazonaws.com/s3fs-public/bellagio_framework_for_adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }