Workshop 1

Title: Mountains ADAPT: Advancing Local Climate Action in the South Caucasus through Small Grants

Place: Building IV, Small Library, Flour I, Akaki Tsereteli State University, Kutaisi

Scheduled: Tuesday, 4 July, 2023; 11:15 – 13:00

CO-CHAIRS:

UNEP

Sustainable Caucasus

PRESENTERS:

Matthias Jurek, Programme Management Officer, UNEP

Introduction to Mountains ADAPT project

Ansgar Fellendorf, Climate change and mountain governance expert, UNEP

Local and regional climate risks in the South Caucasus, mountain adaptation solutions and learnings for their transfer

Ana Shubitidze, National Coordinator GEF Small Grants Programme, UNDP

The GEF Small Grants programme in Georgia and beyond: experiences, learnings and the way forward

All workshop participants

Interactive small group discussion on climate risks, existing adaptation solutions and small grants schemes

DESCRIPTION:

Several adaptation initiatives in the South Caucasus take place, however, they are often isolated and not shared among (sub)national decision-makers and development practitioners. This leads to adaptation gaps between available solutions and knowledge, (planned) national policies, and adaptation efforts in local (mountain) communities. The new Austrian-funded Mountains ADAPT project addresses gaps of

• Limited knowledge as well as the technical and financial capacity of stakeholders across governance levels to integrate adaptation action in rural mountain development. 
• Practical mountain adaptation solutions are not known as alternative multi-benefit responses for building local ecosystems and socio-economic resilience to climate change. 
• Low empowerment (ownership) of local communities about climate change and related impacts on their livelihoods. 

• Small size, grassroots groups and organizations (practitioners) can often not meet the administrative requirements set by major international funds, donors and financial institutions. 
• Missing funding opportunities and functional mechanisms for (sub)national decision makers and local mountain communities/ practitioners to support adaptation initiatives. 

This workshop provides a first opportunity to discuss the adaptation gaps in local communities, present the new project to stakeholders, learn from one another about climate change risks and adaptation solutions, and exchange on small grants funding schemes (SGFS) to support community- and needs-based adaptation action.