Abstract

This sNAPshot describes the development of the National Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) system for adaptation in Colombia and shares lessons learned and the next steps in the process. The document builds on previous sNAPshots that highlight the importance of M&E as part of the adaptation to climate change process.

Colombia is highly vulnerable to climate variability and change. The Third National Communication on Climate Change (Spanish acronym TCN), based on a multidimensional analysis, indicates that the entire country is exposed to some level of climatic risk. It also foresees greater climate changes in the Eastern region, where temperature increases of up to 2.6° C are expected; in the Andean region, where precipitation would increase by up to 30 per cent and in the Atlantic region, where rainfall would decrease by up to 30 per cent.

Although adaptation efforts in Colombia began in 2006, it was only in 2010 that the topic was included on the political agenda, as a result of a La Niña weather phenomenon that flooded about 8 percent of the country’s most populated area, affecting almost 9 per cent of the population and resulting in damages and losses estimated at USD 8 billion dollars (Hoyos et al., 2013). In response, the formulation of the National Plan for Adaptation to Climate Change (or PNACC) (in Spanish) was initiated with the objective of reducing the risk and the socioeconomic impacts associated with climate variability and climate change in Colombia.

The design of the monitoring and evaluation system (M&E) for adaptation began in 2014, and since then the country has made progress in defining indicators and guidelines to monitor the objectives and progress of the PNACC process.