Goal 
The goal is to ensure that the needs of poor and vulnerable communities are integrated into investments worth at least $1 billion that will help increase the resilience of at least 1 million people by 2026. 

While other local organizations are often best suited to support these bottom-up approaches, they frequently lack access to finance at the required scale. GCA’s Global Hub on LLA bridges this gap by facilitating the preparation of locally led People’s Adaptation Plans and consolidating these into investment projects financed by multilateral development banks. Poor and vulnerable communities lead the development of these plans, enabling them to understand their own climate vulnerabilities and design solutions.  
 
A comprehensive has been developed for this process. In Bangladesh, GCA has partnered with BRAC and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD) to pilot this process in Mongla, under the leadership of Sheikh Abdur Rahman, Mayor of the Mongla Port Municipality. 
 
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Goal  
The goal is to mainstream innovative climate resilience solutions, including nature-based solutions, into $3 billion worth of investments for resilient infrastructure, urban, and food systems that provide services for 20 million people by 2026.  

Description  
GCA South Asia’s work on Nature-based Solutions for Systemic Resilience has several focus areas including Resilient Infrastructure, Resilient Urban Systems and Resilient Food Systems. 
 
Resilient Infrastructure 
The cost of climate change on large scale infrastructure is incurred through direct damages to physical assets as well as indirect damages from disruptions to social and economic services putting Bangladesh’s economic growth at risk. The program aims to mainstream adaptation solutions including Nature-based Solutions through developing national resilient infrastructure investment pipeline, providing asset level technical support, and building capacity of government agencies and private sector to mainstream climate resilience into large scale infrastructure network. 
 
Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Urban Systems 
Cities are at the forefront of climate change. The way our cities look today will change significantly as a result of climate-induced sea level rise, droughts, and devastating flooding, exacerbated by unplanned urbanization. Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Urban Systems focuses on enhancing the resilience of urban areas in Bangladesh, especially secondary cities, with a focus on vulnerable groups such as women in informal settlements. It intends to identify and integrate viable green and grey adaptation and resilience options into urban systems planning, financing, design, operations, and maintenance to ensure the resilience of new and existing urban systems in Bangladesh. Furthermore, by recognizing that women and other vulnerable groups are disproportionately affected by climate change, the program prioritizes their inclusion through the implementation process. 

The work is divided into two key business lines: 

Currently, GCA is providing technical assistance to large-scale investment projects from the Asian Development Bank, the World Bank, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, and Agence Française de Développement. 
 
Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Food Systems (Emerging Program)
 
The Nature-based Solutions for Resilient Food Systems program supports the design and mainstreams digital climate information and advisory solutions in agricultural investment projects of international financial institutions. In the context of South Asia, GCA is scoping potential entry points for the Resilient Food Systems area and will be seeking international financial institutions to partner with in the food security and agriculture resilience sector. In partnership with Bangladesh Agricultural University, GCA has developed a typology to improve the spatial targeting of interventions to accelerate food security and rural wellbeing. The study has identified key determinants influencing the uptake of climate adaptation strategies and mapped high risk areas of intervention, which will inform this emerging program’s activities.  
 
Furthermore, a letter of intent has been signed between GCA and CGIAR to bring the latest research results on climate adaptation into investment projects.  
 
The food security team has an ongoing review of the agricultural sector in Bangladesh and potential entry points for GCA’s engagement in climate adaptation. Upon completion of this study, a validation workshop will take place by the end of 2024. The program is interested in collaborating further with new partners and stakeholders in Bangladesh, as well as South Asia. 

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Goal 
The goal is to unlock $1 billion in climate finance by 2026. 
 
Description 
GCA’s Climate Adaptation Finance program aims to bolster the capacity of vulnerable countries, like Bangladesh, to scale up adaptation efforts by accessing key sources of finance through three main business lines: 

In South Asia, the program is working through the TAP, which focuses on enabling direct access to the Green Climate Fund (GCF) in Bangladesh, where the government has prioritized adaptation finance due to projected climate change impacts. Despite significant government expenditure on adaptation, there remains a substantial financing gap, which global climate finance, including from the GCF, aims to bridge. The program supports entities in Bangladesh, including the Infrastructure Development Company Limited (IDCOL) and the Palli Karma Sahayak Foundation (PKSF), to access climate finance and develop quality adaptation projects. 
 
For IDCOL, support includes reaccreditation and project preparation for the GCF. IDCOL is working on proposals for climate-resilient forestry and solar-powered irrigation, with GCA providing tailored guidance and technical assistance. 
 
Similarly, for PKSF, assistance involves project development for GCF funding, with proposals focused on climate-resilient livestock production and fish production in coastal regions. GCA supports the development of proposals and concept notes, ensuring alignment with GCF standards and requirements. 
 
Additionally, capacity-building efforts encompass phased training sessions to enhance the ability of entities and stakeholders to develop robust adaptation projects for GCF funding. Phase I of training held in November 2023 focused on developing robust adaptations projects to access the GCF fund in Bangladesh and demonstrated the need for climate finance and understanding climate change impacts. Phases II and III will further develop project concepts and provide training on economic and financial analysis. 

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