This figure indicates the funding focus of Official Development Assistance (ODA) and the dedicated adaptation funds, and suggests how they may be better deployed in the adaptation effort. To date, the dedicated adaptation funds have largely supported activities on the climate-specific side of the adaptation continuum, while ODA has dominantly focused on the development side.

As the mainstreaming of climate change into development gains ground, ODA-funded activities will increasingly gain—and deserve—the label “adaptation.” This process is represented in this figure by the arrow pushing ODA from Zone 1 on the continuum toward Zones 2 and 3. However, this movement is limited by the finite level of ODA funding and, in particular, by the reluctance of recipient countries to see ODA diverted from existing priorities. The limitation of ODA in this context is that it is not driven by the imperative for increased funding in response to climate change.