This document summarizes a virtual learning session on integrating approaches related to climate action, gender equality, and resilient health systems in National Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes. It provides an overview of the NAP process and goals. It then summarizes key findings from reviews of how health and gender issues have been incorporated in NAPs. For health, most NAPs identify it as a priority but have gaps in addressing identified risks. For gender, countries are making efforts but more work is needed in areas like analysis, stakeholder engagement, and institutionalization. The document concludes with a discussion of the limited attention to sexual and reproductive health and rights in NAPs, but potential opportunities through health sector plans and gender-responsive

1. CLIMATE ACTION,
GENDER EQUALITY, AND
RESILIENT HEALTH SYSTEMS:
Integrated approaches in National
Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes
Virtual Learning Session
April 15, 2021

2. 45
countries have received
technical assistance
4800+
People have been trained on
climate change adaptation
270+
Government institutions
have strengthened
capacities in adaptation
OUR GOAL is to enhance national adaptation
planning and action in developing countries

3. THE NAP PROCESS
A strategic process that enables countries to identify and address
their medium- and long-term priorities for adapting to climate
change.
It involves:
• Analyzing current and future climate change and assessing
vulnerability to its impacts.
• Identifying and prioritizing adaptation options.
• Implementing these options.
• Tracking progress and results.
The NAP process puts in place the systems and
capacities needed to make adaptation an integral part of a
country’s development planning, decision making, and budgeting.

4. DIVYA MATHEW
(she/her)
Director of Policy and Advocacy
Women Deliver
ALEC CRAWFORD
(he/him)
Senior Policy Advisor
NAP Global Network
International Institute for Sustainable
Development (IISD)
MODERATOR
ANGIE DAZÉ
(she/her)
Senior Policy Advisor
Lead, Gender Equality
NAP Global Network
International Institute for
Sustainable Development (IISD)
AMY SAVAGE
(she/her)
Country Engagement & Support,
Climate Change & Health Unit
World Health Organization (WHO)
PANEL
Speakers

5. Review: Health
in NAPs
Amy Savage
Climate Change and Health Unit
World Health Organization
Photo credit:
Jonathan Torgovnik/ Getty
Images/Images of Empowerment

6. Operational Framework:
10 components to build climate-resilient
health systems
Strengthen health resilience
to climate change

7. • Review of consideration of
health in National Adaptation
Plans submitted to the
UNFCCC NAP Central
• 19 NAPs (December 2020)
• Review of:
• Context sections
• Health chapters

8. 1. All NAPs identified
health as a priority
sector for climate
change adaptation
Photo credit: WHO/Yoshi Shimizu
Key findings –
Review: Health in
NAPs

9. 2. All NAPs consider a range of climate-
sensitive health risks (CSHRs)

10. 3. There are gaps between the CSHRs identified
in NAPs and specific actions to address them

11. 4. Many of the NAPs addressed several components
of building a climate-resilient health system

12. 5. The majority (80%) of the NAP documents identify
adaptation actions in other sectors that will have
benefits for health

13. 6. Six NAPs identify specific
target groups for health
adaptation actions
Four of the NAPs apply a gender
lens to the adaptation actions
for the health sector

14. Integration of gender considerations in National
Adaptation Plan (NAP) processes: Review of
progress 2018-2020
Angie Dazé
International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD)
NAP Global Network
Jonathan Torgovnik/Getty
Images/Images of
Empowerment

15. • 2nd global gender synthesis report
• Assessed progress from 2018 to
2020 on a few key aspects of
gender-responsive approaches
• Based on:
• Systematic review of 18 NAP
documents
• Review of a selection of proposals for
Green Climate Fund (GCF) NAP
readiness funding
• Documentation and monitoring of NAP
Global Network country engagement

16. Countries are making an effort to
integrate gender considerations
in their NAP processes.
• All NAP documents except one mention
gender – increase from 89% to 94% from
2018 to 2020
• All GCF proposals except one include an
overarching commitment to gender
equality

17. Significant progress has been
made in positioning women as
adaptation stakeholders.
• In 2018, women were most often
positioned as a particularly vulnerable
group and/or as beneficiaries of
adaptation actions
• In 2020, more documents recognize
women as a stakeholder group in
adaptation planning
• A number explicitly recognize women’s
leadership in adaptation

18. More countries are using gender
analysis to inform adaptation
planning.
• 2018: Limited evidence that context-
specific gender analysis was used in NAP
processes
• By 2020, a number of countries had
conducted targeted gender analyses to
inform adaptation planning
• More than half of GCF proposals include
activities related to gender analysis/use of
sex-disaggregated data

19. There is limited evidence that
countries are establishing
platforms for sustained
stakeholder engagement in NAP
processes.
• A greater proportion of the NAP
documents indicate that women
participated in the planning process
• Less evidence of establishment of
platforms for sustained stakeholder
engagement
• Fewer than half of the GCF proposals
include activities related to gender-
equitable stakeholder engagement

20. Few NAP documents present
evidence that gender was
considered in the institutional
arrangements for adaptation.
• Less than half of the NAP documents
present evidence that gender was
considered in institutional arrangements
• A third of GCF proposals indicate
activities that address gender in
institutional arrangements
• Institutionalization of gender expertise
remains a challenge

21. Sexual and Reproductive
Health and Rights (SRHR)
in National Adaptation Plan
(NAP) Processes
Divya Mathew
Women Deliver

22. Why should NAP Processes
consider SRHR?
Impacts of climate change negatively effect
SRHR:
• Disruption of SRH services after disasters
• Climate-sensitive diseases impact maternal
health outcomes
• Increased risk of gender-based violence
Emerging evidence of the benefits of realizing
SRHR as a basis for climate action
• When SRHR is fully realized, people are better
equipped to handle climate change impact and
contribute to climate solutions.
More information: www.womendeliver.org

23. Methodology
Sources assessed:
• NAP documents available on NAP Central as of
31 December 2020
• Select sample of health sector NAPs
• Select sample of NAP readiness proposals to the
Green Climate Fund
Components of SRHR considered:
• Contraceptive services
• Maternal and newborn health
• Abortion
• Infertility
• Gender-based violence
• HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections

24. Finding 1: There is limited attention
to SRHR in overarching
NAP documents
Only 10 of the 19 documents reviewed
contain specific references to any
component of SRHR:
• The most common issues mentioned are
pregnancy and infant care (cited in 7
documents)
• The next most commonly cited issue is
gender-based violence (cited in 4
documents)
SRHR Training at Sindh University in Pakistan.
Photo courtesy of Muhammad Khalid Rao.

25. Finding 2: Disconnect
between health sector
NAPs and overarching
NAP documents when
it comes to SRHR
While some health sector
NAPs do address SRHR, they
may not be reflected in the
overarching NAP documents.
Photo by Prem Kurumpanai on Unsplash.

26. Finding 3: Gender-responsive
approaches present an entry point
for the consideration of SRHR
issues in NAP processes
Analysis of vulnerabilities provides a basis
for actions to address gaps in SRHR.
Assessments should consider sub-groups,
including pregnant women, adolescents,
people living with HIV/AIDS, and people in
all their diverse sexual orientation, gender
identity and/or expression, and sex
characteristics (SOGIESC) identities.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash.

27. Finding 4: Investments in health
sector adaptation may have indirect
benefits for SRHR
While majority of available NAP
documents do not include SRHR-related
actions, there are many actions identified
in NAPs and health sector NAPs that could
provide indirect benefits, including:
• Investing in health facilities, infrastructure,
and services
• Better preparing the health system to
respond to emergencies
Photo by Nick van den Berg on Unsplash.

28. Finding 5: Finance for adaptation in
the health sector falls short of
needs
There are considerable gaps in the
finance allocated for adaptation and the
amount dedicated to adaptation in the
health sector is minimal.
Greater investment in health systems
resilience is sorely needed, particularly
in the wake of COVID-19.
© European Union 2016 - European Parliament.

29. THANK YOU!

30. info@napglobalnetwork.org
www.napglobalnetwork.org
@NAP_Network