India is set to submit its first comprehensive National Adaptation Plan (NAP) aligned with the Paris Agreement by September 2025. 

• It marks a shift from its earlier mitigation-focused approach under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) which focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
• NAP: A new, more inclusive plan aligned with the Paris Agreement, focusing on climate adaptation strategies.

About the National Adaptation Plan (NAP)

• India’s NAP is its first adaptation-focused framework compliant with global standards under the Paris Agreement.
• Aim: To integrate adaptation into ongoing and future policies, programmes, and planning processes.
• Approach: The approach is collaborative, involving multiple ministries, local governments, and the private sector.
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is coordinating the NAP.
• Timeline and Future Plans
• • NAP 1.0: To be submitted to the UNFCCC by September 2025.
  • NAP 2.0: Expected in five years, aligned with the next Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) cycle and will be aligned by the upcoming COP30 outcomes.

Significance of Climate Adaptation

• India has witnessed severe climate-related losses:
  • 80,000 deaths and $180 billion in damages between 1993–2022 (Germanwatch report).
• Domestic adaptation expenditure rose from 3.7% of GDP in FY16 to 5.6% in FY22, but remains insufficient.
• India requires over $1 trillion in climate finance for adaptation between 2015–2030.

The Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)

• Proposed under Article 7 of the Paris Agreement (2015) to boost resilience and reduce vulnerability.
• The UAE Framework on Global Climate Resilience and the UAE-Belém work programme were launched to track adaptation progress.
• As of now:
  • 142 developing countries are formulating NAPs.
  • 64 countries have submitted theirs, including 60 developing nations.