FINANCING THE FRONTLINES: WHY CLIMATE FINANCE FOR ADAPTATION SHOULD DEFINE COP30

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Introduction

A prominent reality persists as the world prepares for COP30: nations in the Global South only receive a small portion of the promised climate finance, and the majority of that money is used for mitigation rather than adaptation. For nations like India, where millions depend on climate-sensitive livelihoods and where extreme heat, floods, and droughts are everyday realities, this funding gap is more than a statistic: it’s jeopardizing lives, homes, and futures.

According to the Climate Policy Initiative (CPI), India alone faces adaptation investment needs in the order of billions, yet funding flows remain far lower (Climate Policy Initiative, 2024). When adaptation projects are sidelined and promises of “accessible, predictable finance” remain unfulfilled, the most vulnerable communities- youth, farmers, and informal workers’ pay the price.

As a young climate advocate associated with Youth for COP and The Climate Reality Project, I believe that at COP30, the narrative must shift from promises of mitigation to financing the frontlines of adaptation, where climate change is already reshaping daily lives.

India’s Experience: Progress and Persistent Gaps

India is a striking illustration of both initiative and inadequacy. The National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change (NAFCC), established in 2015-16, was designed to support state-level projects across sectors like water, forestry, coastal zones, and livelihoods (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Govt. of India). Yet, despite being a pioneering framework, the fund’s budget has remained limited, and its disbursements have been uneven.

A 2024 analysis by Down To Earth noted that India’s national budget made little explicit mention of “adaptation” and that funds earmarked for resilience-building lag behind mitigation-focused spending (Down To Earth, 2024). Meanwhile, CPI’s recent estimates show that just six Indian states alone will require over ₹444.7 billion (≈ USD 5.5 billion) between 2021 and 2030 for adaptation measures such as water management, agriculture resilience, and urban heat mitigation (Climate Policy Initiative, 2024).

These figures mirror the challenge embedded in India’s own Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which emphasize the country’s dual need: to reduce emission intensity while strengthening resilience in key sectors. The NDCs explicitly link progress to international finance, technology transfer, and capacity-building support. Without accessible and predictable climate finance, these adaptation commitments risk remaining aspirations rather than outcomes.

(Image used for representational purpose only)

Credit: Albin Mathew, EPS

At the community level, the gap is even more visible. During a field visit, farmers in coastal Andhra Pradesh spoke of seawater intrusion that has rendered once-fertile land saline. In drought-prone Bundelkhand, families invest in solar irrigation pumps, but many such schemes depend on concessional finance or subsidies that arrive inconsistently. India’s Green Credit Programme and solar irrigation initiatives are commendable, but scaling them sustainably demands robust, predictable financial flows. Adaptation here is not just about infrastructure; it is about securing livelihoods, ensuring food and water security, and empowering youth-led innovation.

Conclusion: A Call for Climate Finance Reform at COP30

As we approach COP30, world leaders must make reforming the global climate finance architecture their top priority. For the Global South, “finance” must no longer mean delayed pledges or inaccessible loans; it must mean direct, timely, and fair funding that empowers local adaptation.

COP30 should focus on three urgent reforms:

1. Debt swaps for climate resilience, which allow high-debt developing countries to reallocate repayments to adaptation initiatives.

2. Putting the COP28-established Loss and Damage Fund into action and making sure it provides real assistance to nations dealing with the effects of climate change.

3. Direct access methods so that communities, youth organizations, and local governments can apply for funding without facing undue bureaucratic obstacles.

India and other developing nations are prepared to take the lead in community service and innovation, but they will not be able to do it without the necessary resources. As youths, we are not merely bystanders; we are the generation inheriting these risks. The world must finally finance the front lines at COP30, because adaptation is not charity; it is justice.

References

1. Climate Policy Initiative. (2025, November 9). Financing Adaptation in India - CPI. CPI. https://www.climatepolicyinitiative.org/publication/financing-adaptation-in-india

2. National Adaptation Fund for Climate Change. (2024, May 9). Vikaspedia. https://energy.vikaspedia.in/viewcontent/energy/environment/climate-change/national-adaptation-fund-for-climate-change.

3. Akshit Sangomla. (2025, February 3). Adaptation in India: Where are the schemes and money? Down to Earth. https://www.downtoearth.org.in/climate-change/adaptation-in-india-where-are-the-schemes-and-money.