FAQs on Locally Led Adaptation & their Principles

This fact sheet from the World Resources Institute provides a series of frequently asked questions regarding Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) and its guiding principles. It defines LLA as the devolution of authority and resources to local actors—including marginalized groups—to ensure they have agency over the design and delivery of climate adaptation, rather than simply being targets of benefits. The document outlines the development of the 8 LLA Principles, the call for increased climate finance directed to local levels, and the importance of grant-based funding to support public goods and low-income communities.

• Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) is defined by the devolution of authority and resource control to local actors, specifically ensuring that marginalized groups—such as women, youth, children, people with disabilities, displaced people, Indigenous people, and racial or ethnic minority groups—possess agency over the design, prioritization, and delivery of adaptation efforts.
• There is a significant imbalance in climate finance distribution; IIED estimates that between 2006 and 2016, less than 10% of global climate fund finance was dedicated to local levels, and in 2019, less than 2.5% of humanitarian aid reached local actors.
• The document proposes a target of 25% of climate finance for LLA, which represents half of the UN Secretary General's call for 50% of all climate finance to be dedicated to adaptation. This target is intended to increase over time, potentially aligning with the LDC Group's request for 70% of climate finance to be delivered to the local level by 2030.
• Grant-based finance is emphasized as a necessity because the US$100 billion commitment is insufficient for low-carbon climate-resilient development. Grants are specifically needed for public goods with little revenue potential and to help low-income countries and small enterprises build enough resilience to attract larger private investments.
• As of October 29th, 57 institutions across various sectors—including multilateral funds, bilateral donors, and grassroots organisations—have endorsed the LLA Principles, which were co-developed between 2018 and 2021.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). FAQs on Locally Led Adaptation & their Principles. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-10/faqs-principles-locally-led-adaptation.pdf

Chicago

World Resources Institute. FAQs on Locally Led Adaptation & their Principles. n.d. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-10/faqs-principles-locally-led-adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=FAQs on Locally Led Adaptation & their Principles |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-10/faqs-principles-locally-led-adaptation.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendfaqs, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{FAQs on Locally Led Adaptation \& their Principles}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2022-10/faqs-principles-locally-led-adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }