WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative
Request for Proposals:
Understanding WASH sector blockages to
accessing climate finance
Rationale
Following three years of consultation and negotiation, UN member states formally adopted
the Sustainable Development Framework and Global Goals on 25 September 2015,
including – for the first time – a goal on universal access to water and sanitation by 2030.
This goal will greatly challenge the accepted sector development norms, and the search for
truly inclusive and sustainable service delivery models and approaches will need to
intensify. The WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative aims to ensure climate finance plays a
part in driving the necessary shift away from business-as-usual development and towards a
step change in WASH sector performance.
Climate change poses many threats to the achievement of the Global Goal on water and
sanitation – droughts, floods, cyclones, heat waves and rising sea levels all impact on the
water cycle and the sustainability of WASH services. Achievement of universal access will
therefore depend heavily on the financial, technical and human resources that are made
available to the world’s poorest countries to build resilience to the coming changes in their
water sectors and beyond.
At the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties 15
(COP15) in Copenhagen in 2009, developed countries committed to a goal of jointly
mobilising US$100 billion a year by 2020 to help poor countries both mitigate and adapt to
climate change. The additional $100 billion per year in climate flows provides a unique
opportunity to drive, at least in part, a paradigm shift in WASH sector development.
However, WaterAid research,1 alongside several interviews with the major global climate
funds, has shown that the water sector has not been as effective as have other sectors in
building a case for why climate-resilient WASH is a valid adaptation mechanism, what
exactly this looks like, and how adaptation financing could be effectively spent.
As such, WaterAid is leading a new Climate Finance Initiative with the overarching objective
of building collaborative partnerships in several countries to demonstrate, through project
execution and associated institutional strengthening, the changes that are needed to
ensure that a proportion of the $100 billion is spent on increasing the water security and
climate resilience of people living in WASH poverty.
http://www.wateraid.org/news/news/how-would-you-spend-100-billion-dollars-ensuring-water-security-in-achanging-climate
1
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WaterAid is a registered charity: Australia: ABN 99 700 687 141. Canada: 119288934 RR0001. Sweden: Org.nr: 802426-1268, PG: 90 01 62-9, BG: 900-1629.
UK: 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland). US: WaterAid America is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization
WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative
Wateraid’s climate finance initiative
The overall objective of the Climate Finance Initiative is to demonstrate (by supporting a
project or strategy development cycle from inception to completion) how global climate
finance can be used to support government-owned and climate-resilient WASH
interventions that prioritise the WASH needs of poor people.
The WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative consists of:
1. Comprehensive literature review and analysis of climate finance flows to date
(complete).
2. In-depth global study and case-study deep dive: Understanding the sector blockages
to accessing climate finance (2015/16).
3. Action research in collaboration with governments, key sector players and global
climate funds to actively demonstrate the changes needed to ensure climate finance
flows are secured for WASH (2017-19).
4. Ongoing briefing series to feed learning and knowledge into the water sector.
This Request for Proposals to Part Two of the overall initiative – namely, the in-depth
global study and case-study deep dive.
Research questions
Part one: Analysis of the global climate finance landscape.
Using the five reports by Oxford Policy Management2 as a starting point, and undertaking a
comprehensive literature review plus primary research, determine the contextual,
institutional and political factors that can help to secure global climate finance for WASH.
Include:
1. Analysis of the global climate finance landscape, including:
a. Current global climate finance architecture including major funds and associated
implementing agencies, national focal points, national implementing agencies,
etc.
b. A summary of ongoing efforts to facilitate access to the funds for adaptation in
developing countries (e.g. UNDP-UNEP National Adaptation Plan Global Support
Programme, OECD’s G20 Climate Finance Study Group and their Toolkit to
Enhance Access to Adaptation Finance, GEF Country Support Programme, etc.).
2. The evolving policies, standards and procedures of the major climate funds (using a mix
of desktop work and interviews with the major funds). Give specific regard to:
a. Specific links between climate finance and development finance.
b. What qualifies as ‘climate change adaptation’ for each major fund, the priority
given to adaptation over mitigation.
http://www.wateraid.org/what-we-do/our-approach/research-and-publications/viewpublication?id=70687d03-f199-4931-85dc-3db975388687
2
www.wateraid.org/ppa
47-49 Durham Street, London SE11 5JD, UK
020 7793 4500
WaterAid is a registered charity: Australia: ABN 99 700 687 141. Canada: 119288934 RR0001. Sweden: Org.nr: 802426-1268, PG: 90 01 62-9, BG: 900-1629.
UK: 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland). US: WaterAid America is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization
WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative
c. Links between climate change, water security and WASH (including level of
recognition of the role of WASH in increasing climate resilience) and the types of
water projects that would be consider eligible by each fund.
d. Emphasis on the particular needs of the poorest and most climate-vulnerable.
e. Whether there is any evidence that the difficulty in discerning the delineation
between ‘adaptation’ and ‘development’ in the WASH sector is discouraging
funds’ financing of WASH projects.
3. Use this research to determine:
a. The level of understanding of what climate-compatible WASH projects/strategies
look like.
b. The extent to which global climate funds have the capacity and appetite to help
governments design, deliver and sustain investments in WASH services that
consider the additional risks posed by climate change.
c. Analysis of which of the major future funds are most suitable for the
demonstration project.
d. Perceived role for non-government stakeholders (INGOs and NGOs) in engaging
in climate finance policy development and disbursement.
4. An estimation of the likely climate finance landscape in 2020 and beyond (major funds
and implementers, likely volumes, priority given to adaptation, role of the private sector,
etc.).
Part two: Best practice examples
Desktop examination of several best-practice examples that have been successful in
securing:
a) Significant climate funds for adaptation in the WASH sector. Extract and analyse the
contextual, institutional and political factors that contributed to success.
b) Climate funds for adaptation in sectors other than WASH – agriculture, transport, etc.
Extract and analyse the contextual, institutional and political factors that contributed
to the success, highlighting the differentials with the WASH sector and analysing the
potential for the WASH sector to make changes based on the success of other
sectors.
Use the case studies to draw several preliminary lessons for policy makers, donors and
non-government stakeholders. Analysis of countries that have used the ‘direct access’
modality of the Adaptation Fund is particularly useful because the Green Climate Fund will
also be using this mechanism.
Part three: Case study selection criteria
Develop case study selection criteria for the countries or regions that would be suitable for
the demonstration work and nominate four case study sites using the criteria (final case
study selection will be made by WaterAid).
www.wateraid.org/ppa
47-49 Durham Street, London SE11 5JD, UK
020 7793 4500
WaterAid is a registered charity: Australia: ABN 99 700 687 141. Canada: 119288934 RR0001. Sweden: Org.nr: 802426-1268, PG: 90 01 62-9, BG: 900-1629.
UK: 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland). US: WaterAid America is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization
WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative
Part four: Four case studies and synthesis report
In each case study country, determine the specific changes required at national and subnational levels to ensure climate finance is accessed to develop, and ultimately provide a
proportion of funds to, a climate-resilient water sector strategy or climate-resilient WASH
projects.
The case study approach should combine a qualitative analysis of the policy context and
institutional arrangements with a quantitative review of public spending on climate changerelevant actions. Specific areas to be covered include:
1. The main sector blockages at national and sub-national levels to increased climate
finance.
2. The main blockages to the disbursement and implementation of climate finance when it
has been approved (e.g. project design capabilities, sector coordination, etc.).
3. The extent to which climate risks are integrated into existing WASH or water sector
strategies and/or WASH and water security (as defined by WaterAid) is reflected in
national climate policy (such as the national adaptation plan).
4. The extent to which WASH and climate policies prioritise the needs of the poorest and
most climate-vulnerable.
5. Any opportunities to combine climate funds with other sources to support a climateresilient water sector strategy.
6. Whether public climate finance be used to leverage private investment in WASH sector.
7. Whether non-government stakeholders (NGOs, donors, development banks) have a role
to play in linking international funds with government projects and systems in the casestudy country.
The results of the case study work should be compiled into four case study reports and one
synthesis report with clear policy recommendations.
Outputs
Deliverable
Analysis of the global climate finance landscape
Best practice examples
Case study selection criteria
Four case study reports and synthesis report
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47-49 Durham Street, London SE11 5JD, UK
First draft
26/02/2016
11/03/2016
25/03/2016
29/04/2016
Second Draft
10/03/2016
25/03/2016
13/05/2016
020 7793 4500
WaterAid is a registered charity: Australia: ABN 99 700 687 141. Canada: 119288934 RR0001. Sweden: Org.nr: 802426-1268, PG: 90 01 62-9, BG: 900-1629.
UK: 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland). US: WaterAid America is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization
WaterAid Climate Finance Initiative
Application process
Consultants may apply either individually or in teams from around the world, and will be
reviewed based on staff competencies, record of previous work, quality of proposal and
value for money. As a guide, the research is expected to cost between £40,000 and
£50,000. A detailed budget for the study must be included in the proposal.
The proposal should be sent in a single document to louisewhiting@wateraid.org with
‘Proposal: Climate Finance and WASH’ in the subject, no later than 16 November 2015.
Proposals will be reviewed and a decision made by the end of December 2015.
www.wateraid.org/ppa
47-49 Durham Street, London SE11 5JD, UK
020 7793 4500
WaterAid is a registered charity: Australia: ABN 99 700 687 141. Canada: 119288934 RR0001. Sweden: Org.nr: 802426-1268, PG: 90 01 62-9, BG: 900-1629.
UK: 288701 (England and Wales) and SC039479 (Scotland). US: WaterAid America is a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization