Developing
countries are highly vulnerable to climate change and thus need financing for
adaptation and low-carbon development. The international community has
established multilateral funds to support mitigation and adaptation in these
countries. The Adaptation Fund (AF) and the Green Climate Fund (GCF), two of
the world’s largest climate funds, are committed to providing accredited
institutions in developing countries with direct access to climate finance.
Direct access allows countries to access climate finance and manage all aspects
of the project cycle, from design to implementation and monitoring, directly or
through accredited national institutions (CSE et al., 2016). The Community of
Practice, which serves as a framework for South-South interaction for sharing
and learning between AF and GCF direct access entities, has been initiated by
several countries. The main objective of this initiative is to strengthen the
capacity of African countries to access climate funds. Activities implemented
or planned involve: developing an online platform for sharing experiences, developing
a capacity-building program, organising sub-regional forums and a regional
workshop for COPs, and organising a training of trainers. Entities seeking
accreditation or developing funding proposals find it particularly useful to
engage with peers and establish a Community of Practice to support direct
access. The case study qualifies as a good practice due to its strong stakeholder
engagement that meets the needs of accredited entities, its technical and
financial feasibility, and its innovative character. The progress made under
this initiative has created an enabling environment for: sharing information on
factors that contribute to success; transferring best practices; developing innovative
solutions; and building the capacity of a wide range of institutions.