Enhancing adaptation in NDCs: Analysis and reflections from 19 African countries

The inclusion of a strong adaptation component in Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) is particularly crucial for developing countries facing escalating adaptation costs. This paper examines the NDCs of 19 African countries where WWF operates to better understand how adaptation is currently integrated into NDCs in 2025. The assessment focused on identifying strengths and weaknesses in the adaptation components of submitted and updated NDCs from the previous cycle.

Nine key criteria were used to assess the robustness and effectiveness of these adaptation components. The findings from this study offer valuable insights into how countries can enhance their adaptation plans and action in the upcoming NDC submission cycle (2025). By utilizing these criteria, governments and other relevant stakeholders can refine the adaptation component in their NDCs, to improve policy coherence and better align with their National Adaptation Plans (NAP). The findings from this paper are contributing to the WWF Africa Adaptation Hub, which is supporting countries in Africa to include embedding adaptation into their new NDCs, due in 2025. The assessment criteria provide a framework that can be applied in all regions.