National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are central to reducing vulnerability to climate change, enhancing adaptive capacity advancing, climate-resilient development, and fulfilling the adaptation goals of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement.

This information brief developed by SLYCAN Trust in partnership with CARE Denmark, provides an overview of the NAP process, its purpose, and why NAPs should be a key priority for negotiations and technical work. The brief also outlines the updated NAP technical guidelines and available support mechanisms, while highlighting persistent challenges (particularly limited finance for the formulation and implementation of NAPs, capacity constraints, lack of systematic data availability, and fragmented institutional coordination) that continue to hinder progress in many developing countries, especially Least Developed Countries and Small Island Developing States.

As countries work towards the second and future Global Stocktakes as milestones, scaling up accessible and timely adaptation finance, strengthening national systems, and aligning NAPs with broader UNFCCC processes including the Global Goal on Adaptation will be essential for accelerating effective, inclusive, and integrated adaptation action.

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