The UNEP Mountains ADAPT Small Grants project provides funding of up to US$30,000 per project to support community-led climate adaptation and resilience initiatives in East Africa and the South Caucasus. Local civil society organisations, NGOs and community-based organisations can use the grants to develop nature-based solutions, restore ecosystems, improve water management, strengthen climate-smart agriculture and protect mountain communities and livelihoods.
Background & Grant Description
The UNEP Mountains ADAPT Small Grants project is designed to help local communities respond to the growing impacts of climate change in mountain regions across East Africa and the South Caucasus.
Implemented by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the initiative provides small grants of up to US$30,000 per project for locally led adaptation solutions.
The programme focuses on communities facing climate-related challenges while also seeking to protect natural ecosystems and improve livelihoods.
Mountain regions are particularly vulnerable to climate change. According to the information provided by UNEP, these areas are experiencing impacts including rising temperatures, declining snow and ice cover, unpredictable rainfall and worsening natural hazards.
These climate pressures can be compounded by structural challenges such as geographical remoteness and limited investment.
Mountains ADAPT therefore places local communities at the centre of adaptation efforts, supporting projects that respond to identified climate risks while integrating Nature-based Solutions and ecosystem-based approaches.
What Does the Mountains ADAPT Grant Support?
The Mountains ADAPT scheme is intended to support local NGOs and community-based organisations in designing and implementing projects that address the effects of climate change.
Projects should be:
- Community-led
- Responsive to identified climate risks and impacts
- Inclusive
- Consistent with relevant national or subnational policies and plans
- Focused on ecosystem-based adaptation
- Built around Nature-based Solutions
- Designed to strengthen community resilience
The programme recognises that local action is essential for translating national and regional climate policies into practical results.
Small grants can also help organisations respond directly to community needs while strengthening local capacities.
Examples of Eligible Climate Adaptation Activities
The UNEP information identifies several types of activities that may be supported through Mountains ADAPT.
These include ecosystem restoration, water harvesting and retention, climate-smart agriculture and other locally appropriate adaptation solutions.
Ecosystem Restoration
Projects can focus on restoring and protecting ecosystems that are important to mountain communities.
Healthy ecosystems can contribute to climate resilience while providing benefits for biodiversity, livelihoods and natural resource management.
Water Harvesting and Retention
Water availability can become increasingly challenging as climate patterns change.
Projects involving water harvesting and retention can help communities improve their ability to manage water resources and respond to climate-related pressures.
Climate-Smart Agriculture
Agriculture-dependent communities can face significant risks from changing rainfall patterns, temperature increases and other climate impacts.
Climate-smart agricultural activities can help communities adapt their practices while protecting livelihoods and natural resources.
These examples are illustrative of the activities identified by UNEP. Applicants should check the specific call for proposals for the final eligibility and funding requirements.
Who Can Apply?
The Mountains ADAPT Small Grants project identifies the following applicant groups as eligible:
- Local civil society organisations
- Non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
- Community-based organisations (CBOs)
The programme is intended to support organisations working directly with local communities and responding to locally identified climate risks.
The eligible geographic areas are the East African Community (EAC) partner states and South Caucasus countries.
Because the source does not provide a complete country-by-country list on the supplied page, prospective applicants should confirm whether their organisation and project location fall within the eligible geographic scope when the relevant call is published.
Grant Amount
Successful projects can receive funding of up to US$30,000 per project.
The grant is intended to support locally driven adaptation initiatives rather than large-scale infrastructure programmes.
The focus is on practical community solutions that can strengthen resilience to climate change while supporting ecosystems and livelihoods.
Applicants should therefore ensure that their proposed budgets are directly connected to the project’s climate adaptation objectives and activities.
Capacity Building and Training
The Mountains ADAPT programme is not limited to financial support.
Successful applicants are expected to receive capacity development and training support from UNEP and regional implementing partners.
This additional support can help participating organisations strengthen their ability to design and implement effective climate adaptation initiatives.
The project also incorporates cross-sectoral learning and exchange between grantees and other stakeholders working on mountain adaptation.
This creates an opportunity for participating organisations to learn from other projects and approaches being implemented across the programme’s regions.
Regional Partners
UNEP is implementing Mountains ADAPT with regional partners including:
- East African Community (EAC) Secretariat
- Albertine Rift Conservation Society (ARCOS)
- Caucasus Network for Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (Sustainable Caucasus)
The involvement of regional organisations supports the programme’s focus on locally relevant and regionally connected climate adaptation.
Geographic Focus
Mountains ADAPT focuses on two broad regions:
East Africa
The programme covers partner states of the East African Community (EAC).
Mountain communities across the region can face climate-related pressures affecting agriculture, water resources, ecosystems and livelihoods.
South Caucasus
The initiative also supports mountain adaptation work in the South Caucasus.
The regional focus allows organisations working in different mountain environments to contribute to shared learning around climate resilience and Nature-based Solutions.
Applicants should verify the exact country eligibility requirements in the official call for applications.
Mountains ADAPT Project Timeline
The Mountains ADAPT project has a stated timeframe of 2025–2027.
The scheme was pilot tested in the EAC and South Caucasus countries in 2025.
The UNEP information provided states that the next call for applications opens in the second quarter of 2026.
Because the supplied information does not provide a confirmed current application deadline, applicants should not assume that the opportunity remains open or that the Q2 2026 opening date is still applicable.
Organisations interested in the grant should monitor the official UNEP Mountains ADAPT information and application announcements for the latest call status.
How to Prepare for the Mountains ADAPT Grant
Organisations interested in applying can begin preparing their project concept around the programme’s stated priorities.
A strong proposal should clearly identify the climate-related problem affecting the target community and explain how the proposed intervention will improve resilience.
Applicants should consider demonstrating:
1. A clearly identified climate risk
Explain what climate-related problem the community is experiencing and why action is needed.
2. Community leadership
Show how local communities will participate in identifying, designing and implementing the solution.
3. Nature-based Solutions
Demonstrate how the project will protect, restore or sustainably manage ecosystems as part of the adaptation response.
4. Livelihood benefits
Explain how the project can help protect or improve community livelihoods.
5. Policy alignment
Show how the proposed intervention relates to relevant national or subnational climate adaptation policies and plans.
6. Inclusion
Consider how the project will involve and benefit women, young people and other groups whose capacities the programme seeks to strengthen.
7. Practical implementation
Provide a realistic plan showing how activities can be delivered with the available resources and within the project’s timeframe.
Why Mountains ADAPT Matters
Climate adaptation requires action at multiple levels, from international and national policy to local implementation.
Mountain communities can be particularly exposed to climate risks while simultaneously facing barriers such as remoteness and limited investment.
The Mountains ADAPT model responds to this challenge by directing small-scale funding toward organisations that work directly with communities.
The emphasis on ecosystem-based adaptation and Nature-based Solutions also connects climate resilience with environmental protection.
This approach can potentially generate multiple benefits, including stronger livelihoods, healthier ecosystems and improved community capacity to respond to climate risks.
Mountains ADAPT Small Grants: Quick Facts
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Mountains ADAPT Small Grants |
| Implementing entity | United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) |
| Grant amount | Up to US$30,000 per project |
| Eligible applicants | Local civil society, NGOs and community-based organisations |
| Geographic focus | EAC partner states and South Caucasus countries |
| Main focus | Climate adaptation and community resilience |
| Approach | Ecosystem-based adaptation and Nature-based Solutions |
| Examples of activities | Ecosystem restoration, water harvesting and retention, climate-smart agriculture |
| Project timeframe | 2025–2027 |
| Capacity support | Training and capacity development |
| Regional learning | Cross-sectoral learning and exchange |
| Donor | Austrian Federal Ministry for Agriculture and Forestry, Climate and Environmental Protection, Regions and Water Management |
| Next call stated in source | Second quarter of 2026 |
Final Thoughts
The UNEP Mountains ADAPT Small Grants project offers a targeted funding opportunity for local organisations working to strengthen climate resilience in mountain communities across East Africa and the South Caucasus.
With grants of up to US$30,000 per project, the programme focuses on practical, community-led adaptation solutions that respond to local climate risks while protecting ecosystems and supporting livelihoods.
Eligible organisations include local civil society organisations, NGOs and community-based organisations. Proposed projects can include activities such as ecosystem restoration, water harvesting and retention, climate-smart agriculture and other Nature-based Solutions.
The programme also goes beyond financial assistance by providing successful applicants with capacity development and training support from UNEP and regional partners. Cross-sectoral learning and exchange are also intended to help participating organisations share experiences and strengthen the wider mountain adaptation community.
The source states that the next call was scheduled to open in the second quarter of 2026, but it does not provide a current closing date. Organisations should therefore verify the latest call status and detailed application requirements directly through UNEP before preparing or submitting a proposal.
Disclaimer: This article is an independent informational publication based on information provided by UNEP’s Mountains ADAPT project. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by UNEP. Grant availability, deadlines, eligible countries and application requirements should be confirmed through the official programme information before applying.
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