Collective Action Agenda: Locally Led Adaptation and Multilevel Governance / Building transformational resilience: Systems approaches for climate and water management

Locally led adaptation is an example of collective action as a response to the water-related impacts of climate change, engaging a wide range of stakeholders at the sub-national level.

These stakeholders represent urban as well as rural communities, with an emphasis on ensuring meaningful participation of tribal and indigenous peoples, women, and youth and or other marginalized communities. Local authorities need to collaborate with these communities as well as the private sector to strengthen multi-level governance frameworks for increased water resilience. Likewise, national governments should support the implementation of NDCs at the local level. 

The theme is dedicated to:

• Sharing experience of locally led adaptation and multilevel governance processes as they relate to water resilience at the sub-national level; 

• identifying common approaches, principles and policies to supporting such processes. 

Why we need Locally Led Adaptation and Multilevel Governance

1. The NDCs in most countries are missing local government participation and need to be included in planning and implementation frameworks. 
2. National budgets need to allocate greater funding to support locally led adaptation. 
3. NDCs should include multi-sectoral adaptation initiatives, including contributions from multi-stakeholder water stewardship partnerships 

Exploring how systems strengthening can be applied to tackle climate and water management challenges by breaking down barriers, engaging diverse stakeholders, and leveraging innovative approaches and presenting best practices of climate resilient water management.

The theme is dedicated to:  

• Call to strengthen a common and integrated understanding of  the concept of systems approaches that addresses the interdependencies between sectors and generations 

• Call for cross-sectoral partnerships to develop and strengthen integrated systems-based approaches that can enhance climate and water resilience 

• Promotion of initiatives of open science and citizen science and applications of AI in systems strengthening to support climate-resilient water management  

• Urging policymakers, practitioners, and international organizations to apply systems thinking in addressing water resilience challenges through cross-sectoral and intergenerational collaboration 

• Call to fostering integrated and holistic strategies by considering the interdependencies across sectors to ensure that solutions are sustainable and effective.  

• Urgent need for accelerated efforts to promote cross-sectoral collaboration and the integration of diverse perspectives and advanced technologies lead to innovative, bottom-up solutions that address the complex challenges posed by climate change. 

Why we need system approaches? 

• Integrating diverse perspectives to strengthen the understanding of systems approaches is essential for addressing the intertwined challenges of climate and water management. 

• Collaboration between sectors is key to developing  and strengthening integrated systems-based approaches that can enhance climate and water resilience, with each sector offering valuable insights for addressing these challenges. 

• Cross-sectoral collaboration and the integration of diverse perspectives and advanced technologies lead to innovative, bottom-up solutions that address the complex challenges posed by climate change. 

Targets for COP29 

COP29 plays a pivotal role in fostering cross-sectoral collaboration and intergenerational dialogue for systems-based approaches to tackle climate-resilient water management. It serves as a platform to: 

• Highlight the urgency of addressing water and climate challenges in a holistic, integrated manner. 

• Facilitate knowledge exchange between diverse sectors and stakeholders from various regions, encouraging the adoption of systems strengthening. 

• Promote policy advocacy by shaping global climate and water resilience strategies through high-level discussions and setting an agenda for action. 
• Build partnerships that go beyond COP29, with an emphasis on fostering long-term collaboration and innovation across sectors.