UNEP supported communities around the world to contend with droughts, floods, storms and the other hallmarks of an increasingly erratic climate. 

In 2025, UNEP led 90 climate adaptation projects in 54 countries. The work allowed drought-hit Somali farmers to trap rainwater on their rooftops. It supported Colombian villagers as they protected their homes from increasingly severe storms. And it backed Gambian farmers, beset by rising seas and dwindling rains, to find new types of work, which some families said reduced the pressures that lead to migration. These adaptation projects collectively aim to benefit 4.6 million people and restore at least 2,700 square kilometres of land.

At the same time, UNEP supported 25 countries as they developed and implemented national plans for adapting to climate change. Ghana’s plan, for example, led to the installation of automated weather stations, which will provide drought-hit farmers with more accurate forecasts. 

A big focus of UNEP’s work is protecting the most vulnerable from heat waves while reducing emissions from the cooling sector. In the Indian city of Chennai, UNEP led a pilot project that used nature-based solutions to lower the temperatures in schools in low-income neighbourhoods by 3°C. The work is expected to benefit 150,000 students. In Cambodia, UNEP supported the development of a national cooling plan requiring developers to use passive cooling – which lowers temperatures by reducing or even eliminating the need for energy-hungry air conditioners – as part of getting building permits. 

The UNEP-led Cool Coalition has supported 10 countries in integrating cooling into their national climate plans and in developing national cooling strategies.

UNEP mobilized US$170 million to support countries as they develop early warning systems for hazards like floods, cyclones and droughts. In five Small Island Developing States – Cook Islands, Marshall Islands, Niue, Palau and Tuvalu – UNEP’s work allowed government officials to better track weather patterns and wave heights, harbingers of tropical storms. UNEP also supported Kiribati as the country improved its meteorological forecasting and Timor Leste to create a plan for responding to floods. Overall, UNEP’s work across 11 countries is expected to protect more than 7 million people from climate-related disasters. 

Meanwhile, the UNEP-hosted Climate Technology Centre and Network supported 33 countries as they leveraged technology to adapt to climate change. In Colombia, one effort used drones and satellite mapping to reveal where mangroves, key for keeping storm surges at bay, were thinning. 

Finally, at the 30th UN Climate Change Conference, the Cool Coalition launched the Beat the Heat initiative, which will support cities to become more resilient to high temperatures by bridging gaps in policy, finance and delivery. 

Meanwhile, The Intergovernmental Council for Buildings and Climate, coordinated by the UNEP-hosted Global Alliance for Buildings and Construction, launched an international call for governments to support the construction of affordable and sustainable housing. 

UNEP supported 18 countries as they strengthened their national climate reporting systems. This allowed nations to better track greenhouse gas emissions, develop more ambitious climate policies and open up access to new climate-related financing. UNEP also assisted 24 countries as they prepared their climate transparency reports, which outline their efforts to achieve the Paris Agreement. That process helps build trust among the accord’s signatories, something considered pivotal to its long-term success.