As the international community prepares to negotiate a new climate deal in Paris in December 2015, the consequences of growing concentrations of greenhouse gases are becoming increasingly apparent. The Earth’s surface temperature has been successively warmer over the last three decades than any decade since 1850. This is contributing to changes in precipitation patterns as well as sea level rise and increases in the frequency and intensity of temperature extremes.

Countries’ national approaches to climate change adaptation are increasingly moving from a project focus towards more integrated strategies that promote co-ordination across sectors and levels of government. The monitoring and evaluation frameworks assessing the effectiveness of the national approach on adaptation must be adjusted accordingly. With an integrated approach to adaptation, a country’s resilience to climate change reflects the change brought about by individual adaptation interventions, as well as that caused by socio-economic trends and policies implemented for reasons other than climate change.