Changing the Course of Development: UNDP's Role in Supporting National-Level Decision-Making Processes in a Changing Climate

This research paper by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) examines how development agencies can support national-level decision-making to foster low-emission, climate-resilient development. It identifies critical barriers to adaptation—including political leadership, technical knowledge, financial management, and accountability—and details UNDP's strategic approach to integrating climate change into broader national development and poverty reduction goals.

• UNDP identifies four primary barriers that hinder countries from achieving low-emission, climate-resilient development: political and institutional leadership, knowledge and technical support, financial management and access to funding and technologies, and accountability and reporting systems.
• National institutional arrangements for climate change are often suboptimal, with the agenda frequently relegated to technical units in environment ministries rather than central decision-making bodies. A 2010 UNDP network discussion revealed that only 15 out of 32 countries had inter-ministerial committees on climate change, and of those, only 3 reported directly to the President's or Prime Minister's office.
• Climate modeling scenarios are often insufficient for national or sub-national decision-makers because they contain inherent uncertainties and focus on long-term projections (e.g., 2050 or 2100) rather than the seasonal, annual, or multi-decadal data required for investment decisions.
• UNDP employs a two-track strategy to integrate climate change into national decision-making: one track supports countries in accessing adaptation project finance aligned with national priorities, while the second ensures climate change is integrated into UN Development Assistance Frameworks (UNDAF) and UN country programmes.
• The Africa Adaptation Programme (AAP), funded by Japan, supports 20 African countries in establishing institutional frameworks and long-term planning mechanisms to manage climate risks, utilizing a "cross-practice" strategy that integrates expertise in governance, gender, and poverty reduction.
• UNDP facilitates the Adaptation Learning Mechanism (ALM), a global UN inter-agency knowledge platform. As of the report, the ALM featured over 170 Adaptation Country Profiles and 1,000 tailored resources, with 79% of its 3,000 registered users coming from Non-Annex I and GEF eligible countries.
• To improve the coordination of climate finance, UNDP has supported the creation of national multi-donor climate funds (MDCFs). An example is the Cambodia Climate Change Alliance Trust Fund, launched in February 2010 with approximately USD $3.5 million in contributions, which empowers the National Climate Change Committee to monitor funds according to national priorities.
• A 2007 qualitative analysis of UNDP's portfolio found that the Energy and Environment practice area is the most climate-sensitive due to impacts on food production and water resources. It also noted that poverty reduction projects can either increase or decrease vulnerability depending on whether economic growth is tied to livelihood diversification.

APA

Lim, B., & Baumwoll, J. (2010). Changing the Course of Development: UNDP's Role in Supporting National-Level Decision-Making Processes in a Changing Climate. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3-response-2.pdf

Chicago

Lim, Bo, and Jennifer Baumwoll. Changing the Course of Development: UNDP's Role in Supporting National-Level Decision-Making Processes in a Changing Climate. World Resources Institute, 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3-response-2.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Lim |first1=Bo |last2=Baumwoll |first2=Jennifer |title=Changing the Course of Development: UNDP's Role in Supporting National-Level Decision-Making Processes in a Changing Climate |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3-response-2.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{lim2010changing, author = {Lim, Bo and Baumwoll, Jennifer}, title = {{Changing the Course of Development: UNDP's Role in Supporting National-Level Decision-Making Processes in a Changing Climate}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-3-response-2.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }