WHO as an accredited entity of the adaptation fund

The Adaptation Fund finances climate change adaptation and resilience activities in developing countries that are vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change and are Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. All proposals are submitted through a National Implementing Entity (NIE), a Regional Implementing Entity (RIE), or a Multilateral Implementing Entity (MIE). WHO is an accredited Multilateral Implementing Entity. Proposals also require endorsement by the country in which the proposed activities would take place.

AF project proposals should describe how the activities will help with adaptation to climate change and improve climate resilience. For the case of a programme, show how the combination of individual projects will contribute to the overall increase in resilience. Decision 10/CP.7 establishing the Adaptation Fund stipulates that it shall finance concrete adaptation projects and programmes.

The AF finances climate adaptation projects in various sectors, including agriculture, disaster risk reduction, rural development, water management, food security, health and more.

Developing country Parties to the Kyoto Protocol and/or the Paris Agreement are eligible to submit project/programme proposals to the Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat (AFBSEC).

The AF offers several funding windows, which support countries in undertaking concrete adaptation activities in line with their priority needs.

Single country projects: up to US$ 10M per project/programme; proposals may be submitted through National Implementing Entities (NIEs), Regional Implementing Entities (RIEs), and Multilateral Implementing Entities (MIEs). An additional Project Formulation Grant (PFG) of up to US$ 50 000 can be requested. There is a country cap of US$ 20M, i.e., each country can access a total of US$ 20M of financing support through the AF, via single country projects (see also next question).

Regional projects: up to US$ 14M per project/programme in the region (UN region, or adjacent regions) with at least 2 countries. An additional PFD of up to US$ 100 000 can be requested. Those using a 3-step submission process (pre-concept note; concept note; fully developed proposal) can apply for up to US$ 20 000 for the formulation of a concept note, and up to US$ 80 000 for the formulation of a full proposal. Those using the 2-step submission process (concept note; fully developed proposal) can apply for a PFG of up to US$ 100 000 with the concept note. Regional projects fall outside of the country cap.

Further information on the other grants (LLA, Innovation and Learning grants) can be found in our webinar and on the AF’s website. 

Proposals should align with the AF’s mandate and may centre around building climate resilient health systems and facilities. The AF also prioritizes interventions that contribute to both resilience and low-carbon health systems. Projects should be in line with national strategies/priorities such as the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), Health National Adaptation Plan (HNAP), national disease plans and others.

Specific activities could indicatively include: 

• assessing the climate change vulnerability of healthcare facilities (using the checklists) and undertaking interventions to improve their resilience;
• establishment/strengthening of climate-informed health surveillance and early warning systems; and
• developing plans to advance climate resilience and sustainable low-carbon health systems. These plans may comprise areas such as WASH, energy, health workforce, and infrastructure, technologies and supply chains (e.g., using the WHO guidance on Climate Resilient and Environmentally Sustainable Healthcare facilities).

In the AF Operational Policies and Guidelines, a concrete adaptation project is defined as “a set of activities aimed at addressing the adverse impacts of and risks posed by climate change. The activities shall aim at producing visible and tangible results on the ground by reducing vulnerability and increasing the adaptive capacity of human and natural systems to respond to the impacts of climate change, including climate variability. Adaptation projects/programmes can be implemented at the community, national, regional and transboundary level. Projects/programmes concern activities with a specific objective(s) and concrete outcome(s) and output(s) that are measurable, monitorable, and verifiable.”

Entities applying for regional projects (2+ countries) through the 3-step submission process (pre-concept note; concept note; fully developed proposal) can request a Project Formulation Grant of up to US$ 20 000 with a pre-concept note and with a concept note a PFG up to US$ 80 000. Those using the 2-step submission process (concept note; fully developed proposal) can ask for PFG up to US$ 100 000 with the concept note.

The submission of pre-concept notes and/or concept notes is optional, i.e., entities may also opt to submit a full proposal directly. Opting for a 2-step or 3-step submission process can be useful to agree on and outline the activities suitable for implementation and financing through the AF, before committing time and resources in developing a full proposal. The specific process depends on the country/regional context and the maturity of the project/programme envisioned.

Entities applying for single country projects through a 2-step submission process (concept note; fully developed proposal) with a concept note can request a Project Formulation Grant (PFG) of up to US$ 50 000 in addition to the US$ 10 million grant.

If you are interested in developing an AF proposal on climate change and health, we would be happy to support you. Please send a message to adaptation.fund@who.int for more information.

WHO provides a multitude of services, including support to the development of proposals, support the monitoring and evaluation framework; implementation and supervision of the adaptation project/programme; financial management; progress reporting; and project completion and evaluation.

The AF proposal can be submitted by WHO as an AF accredited entity; All proposals should be accompanied by one or several valid and complete Letter(s) of Endorsement duly signed by the Designated Authority for the country that is officially acknowledged by the Adaptation Fund (see here for the list).

It is critical that the proposal is developed in partnership with the Ministry of Health (or equivalent government department) and other relevant government counterparts.  

The funds will first be transferred to WHO headquarters. In a second step, the funds will be transferred to the WHO regional office or WHO country office, depending on the funding window chosen.

WHO is ultimately accountable for the implementation of project activities. Nevertheless, all activities must be in line with country priorities and therefore fully owned by the government, including the ministry of health and other relevant ministries.  

The following steps can be considered (constitute suggestions; the actual process will depend on the country context):

1. identify the country-specific needs of the health sector in relation to climate change. Policy documents such as a climate health and change vulnerability and adaptation assessment, a Health National Adaptation Plan, and other related action plans may serve as a good reference point;
2. identify the AF funding window that best matches the needs of the region or country;
3. review the AF proposal materials, including templates used to apply for funding to identify which of  your country/regional needs are eligible for AF funding;
4. in partnership with the ministry of health (MoH), formulate the needs and categorize them into relevant funding objectives;
5. in partnership with the MoH, inform your Designated Authority about the opportunity and plan to develop an AF proposal, submitted through WHO as a Multilateral Implementing Entity;
6. undertake a trilateral discussion between the Designated Authority, WHO and the MoH on the initial ideas of actions to be included in the proposal. This communication should be ongoing throughout the proposal development process;
7. obtain valid and complete Letter(s) of Endorsement duly signed by the Designated Authority; and
8. please see also the suggested steps for applying for AF funding through this link.

Proposals are considered at the Board’s regular meetings, held twice a year. Please contact WHO to learn about the date of the next AF Board meeting.

Proposals should be submitted in advance of each scheduled AF Board meeting. This means that proposals submitted on or after the meeting will not be processed until after the Board meeting. Submitting the proposal well in advance to the AF Board meeting can enable a review by the AF Secretariat. A proposal that is envisioned to be considered by the Board needs to be technically cleared by the AF. It is unlikely for a proposal to be cleared on the first submission (although sometimes a pre-concept can be cleared with quick adjustments). Therefore, it is strongly recommend to send in the proposal as early as possible in order for it to undergo at least two rounds of reviews.

Please note that in some instances, funds may not be readily available within the annual allocation for the window chosen. In this case, proposals may still be technically cleared by the board and be placed on a waitlist. Waitlisted projects/programmes will receive funding once additional funds are received by the AF. For further information see here.