Support programme on scaling up climate ambition on land use and agriculture through NDCs and National Adaptation Plans (SCALA)

With climate change threatening the agriculture sectors, livelihoods and food security, there is an urgent need for scaled action to cope with climate-related impacts. In response to that, SCALA supports 12 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America to both build adaptive capacity and to implement low emission priorities in agriculture and land use. The programme uses a multi-stakeholder approach, harnessing strong engagement from the private sector and key national institutions. National activities focus on strengthening policies, appraising and adopting innovative approaches, as well as removing key barriers related to information gaps, governance, finance, gender mainstreaming and integrated monitoring and reporting. The ultimate goal is for countries to turn agricultural related priorities laid out in their National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) and Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) into action.

Project data

Countries: Argentina, Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Nepal, Senegal, Thailand, Uganda
IKI funding: 26,000,000.00 €
Duration: 11/2019 till 12/2028
Status: open
Implementing organisation: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Political Partner: Ministries of Agriculture and Rural Equipement - Senegal

Ministries of Food, Agriculture and Light Industry - Mongolia

Ministry for Environment and Sustainable Development (MEDD) - Senegal

Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries - Uganda

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries - Cambodia

Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (MAGyP) - Argentina

Ministry of Agriculture & Land Reclamation - Egypt

Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives - Thailand

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock - Costa Rica

Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development - Nepal

Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources - Ethiopia

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Colombia

Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development - Cote d 'Ivoire

Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MEFCC) – Ethiopia*

Ministry of Environment (MoE) - Cambodia

Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) - Costa Rica

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development (MinAmbiente) - Colombia

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development - Argentina*

Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development - Côte d’Ivoire

Ministry of Environment and Tourism – Mongolia; Ministry of Environment MoE - Egypt; Ministry of Forests and Environment - Nepal; Ministry of Water and Environment - Uganda; Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning - ONEP - Thailand; Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries - Argentina; Undersecretariat of Environment and Sustainable Development - Argentina
Implementing Partner: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Online: http://www.fao.org/in-action/scala/en

https://www.adaptation-undp.org/scala

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State of implementation/results

Outcome 1: Strengthening the evidence base for transformative climate action
- SCALA supports countries in integrating transformative climate action into national plans and in strengthening capacities for evidence-based decision-making. All countries conduct systems-level assessments to fill information gaps for agriculture priorities and financing strategies.
  - Senegal: Prioritization of agroecological practices for adaptation, resilience, and carbon storage in millet, groundnut, and vegetable gardening systems in line with NDC targets.
  - Colombia: 32 risk and vulnerability assessments in agricultural subsectors; 15 traditional adaptation practices of Indigenous Peoples and local communities documented.
  - Cambodia: Strategies developed to enhance the resilience of smallholder farmers and communities, focusing on sustainable, climate-resilient livestock systems and gender-sensitive, profitable value chains; identification of forest-risk commodities such as cashew and cassava.
Outcome 2: Strengthening governance and integration of agriculture and land-use priorities
- SCALA strengthens governance mechanisms by promoting stakeholder engagement and enabling institutions responsible for implementing Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) to incorporate agriculture and land-use priorities into planning, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting. Examples include:
  - NAP and NDC 3.0 development: Support for preparation and submission of NDC 3.0 in Cambodia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Mongolia, Nepal, and Thailand, as well as Mongolia’s first NAP, through inclusive consultations, technical and financial assistance, and capacity-building for agriculture and livestock targets.
  - Integration into national plans: Updating the CCPAP and aligning with NDC 3.0 (Cambodia); integrating climate change into the Agriculture Development Strategy (Nepal); contributions to NBSAP, 7th National Assessment Report (Mongolia) and Long-Term Strategies for agriculture (Senegal, Uganda); integration of gender and social aspects into CCAPA (Thailand).
  - Institutional and technical strengthening: Trainings for planners to integrate NDC/NAP priorities at local level (Ethiopia), gender-responsive climate budgeting (Mongolia), capacity-building for climate-resilient agriculture (Nepal), Agroclimatic Peasant Promotion School for community leaders (Colombia).
  - Monitoring & Evaluation: NDC tracking system (Senegal), M&E frameworks for agriculture and water sectors (Egypt), support for BTR preparation, review and submission (Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, Nepal, Senegal), Tier 2 emission calculations (Argentina), agriculture statistics database for UNFCCC reporting (Cambodia).
  - Policy coherence: AI-driven analyses of alignment between NDC3.0, NBSAP, and NAP targets to strengthen coherence across Rio Conventions (Cambodia, Egypt, Mongolia, Nepal, Thailand).
Outcome 3: Promoting private sector engagement in climate action
- SCALA supports countries in promoting private sector investment in agriculture and land use and building new alliances for implementing priority climate actions. Examples include:
  - Business Cases: Identification of climate-smart investment opportunities in cashew and cassava value chains (Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire); feasibility studies on carbon offsets for sustainable forest management (Cambodia); economic appraisals of transformative solutions in livestock and dairy value chains (Egypt) and integrated livestock, cocoa, and cassava systems (Uganda); development of climate-smart business plans and Common Interest Groups (Ethiopia); identification of high-potential business cases for private climate investments (Uganda).
  - Pilots: Scaling pilots for certification of deforestation-free beef (Costa Rica) and climate-adapted agriculture (Colombia); pilot Payments for Ecosystem Services mechanisms to incentivize and de-risk soil carbon sequestration (Costa Rica); climate-resilient livestock farms and nature-based agriculture interventions to demonstrate scalable approaches (Nepal).
  - Project Concepts: Support for sustainable livestock project in Arenal-Norte Huetar Conservation Area (Costa Rica, US$5.8 million), multifunctional landscape restoration for peacebuilding (Colombia, €25 million), strengthening resilience of vulnerable communities (Senegal, LDCF), and accelerating transition to a nature-positive economy (Costa Rica, US$5.4 million).
  - SCALA Private Sector Engagement Facility (PSEF): Publication of feasibility and market analyses for compost (Grenada) and sustainably grown papaya (Maldives). Results continue to be leveraged for financing, policy development, and private sector engagement.
SCALA-organised events:
- October 2025: Participation in three side events and technical sessions on transformational adaptation in agrifood systems and local indigenous action at the 9th Asia Pacific Adaptation Network Forum in Bangkok.
- October 2025: SCALA was presented during a presentation on agrifood systems, NDC3.0, and COP30 at the World Food Forum Youth Assembly Session on Agrifood Systems.
- October 2025: SCALA’s work on private sector engagement and scalable climate solutions in Colombia and Costa Rica was showcased at the Scaling Week for Impact in Latin America and the Caribbean, organized under the CGIAR Scaling for Impact initiative.
- November 2025: SCALA organized a virtual side event on Advancing Climate Action in Agrifood Systems through National Adaptation Plans at COP30, launching the flagship report Agrifood systems in National Adaptation Plans: A global analysis. SCALA was also highlighted by high-level representatives of Uganda and Cambodia during the side event From Farm & Food to Future: Driving Climate Action through NDC3.0 at the NDC3.0 Partnership Pavilion.
- November 2025: Participation in a technical workshop on cross-linkages among food systems actors and aligning food systems in NAP and NDC, presenting SCALA’s approach from planning to implementation.
- December 2025: Organized webinar Shaping Climate Futures: Gender and Just Transition pathways after COP30.