Worldwide—GCA Local Adaptation Champions Awards

Launched by The Global Center on Adaptation in 2022, the Local Adaptation Champions Awards spotlight and reward inspiring, innovative, and scalable locally led efforts that address the impacts of climate change and build effective climate resilience among the most vulnerable communities, sections of society, and individuals who are at the frontlines of the greatest existential threat faced by humankind.

DAI supported the delivery of the Local Adaptation Champions Awards 2022 through a range of activities including conceptualizing the Awards process; developing the Awards criteria and material required for the submission of entries; developing a global outreach and publicity plan; building an applications portal; managing the receipt of applications; managing the shortlisting process; and organizing a high-level Awards ceremony at COP27, Egypt.

“DAI has been an instrumental partner in helping the Global Centre for Adaptation to successfully launch its inaugural Locally Led Adaptation Champion Awards. DAI’s social impact and climate expertise have enabled the competition to attract high-quality climate champions from climate-vulnerable countries and attain global reach, culminating in a successful awards ceremony at COP27”.
Anju Sharma
Lead, Locally-led Adaptation, Global Center on Adaptation

Awards Categories

• Inclusive leadership—Initiatives inclusive by design and truly owned by the communities in which they have been implemented.

• Financial governance—initiatives whose scope was to design innovative financial mechanisms that allow local communities to access and manage adaptation funds in ways that best fit local needs, priorities, and evolving contexts.

• Knowledge and capacity—Initiatives designed to strengthen local knowledge and skills related to climate change adaptation, climate finance, or locally led adaptation principles in ways that enable local actors to autonomously continue building their knowledge and share their skills over time.

• Local innovation—Local solutions or technologies—physical or digital—that minimize the immediate and long-term impacts of climate change on people in the community, in particular those most vulnerable.

2022 Winners

Following a shortlisting process involving DAI’s technical experts and members of a specialist external Technical Advisory Group, 8 award nominees were then further shortlisted to the four winners by a prestigious Jury. In November, the four winners were announced at a ceremony at COP27 in Egypt.

• Financial Governance: Adaptation Consortium, Kenya

• Inclusive Leadership: Rangamati Hill District Council, Bangladesh

• Capacity and Knowledge: Swayam Shikshan Prayog, India

• Local Innovation: Community Development & Advocacy Forum Nepal