TY  - GEN
AU  - Rodrigo, Maria Fernanda
AU  - Anderson Alonso, Anais Maria
AU  - Barcellos, Andreia
AU  - Pupo Lafer, Marina
AU  - Laakso, Aarre
AU  - King, Julie
AU  - Motta, Marialisa
AU  - Bouillon, César P.
AU  - Vaessen, Jozef Leonardus
AU  - Fraga, Federico
AU  - Loayza, Mario Julián
AU  - Niembro, Rasec
TI  - Evaluation of the IDB Group’s Work on Climate Adaptation, 2016-2022
PY  - 2026
Y1  - 2026/03/16
DO  - 10.18235/0013979
AB  - The Evaluation of the IDB Group's Work on Climate Adaptation examines the relevance and effectiveness of the IDB Group's - IDB and IDB Invest - support for climate adaptation in Latin America and the Caribbean between 2016 and 2022. This evaluation assesses (i) how climate adaptation was integrated into strategies, sector frameworks, and country dialogue; (ii) whether interventions addressed the region's adaptation needs; and (iii) whether interventions achieved their intended adaptation results.  

The adaptation portfolio consisted of 467 operations totaling US$5.3 billion. The evaluation followed a mixed-methods approach including document review, portfolio analysis, interviews, comparison with global indicators, and geospatial analysis. A representative sample of 284 operations was used to assess relevance, and 102 operations with at least 70% disbursement were used to assess effectiveness. Interventions were categorized as anticipatory, adaptive, or absorptive, and assessed through reported adaptation indicators - outputs, intermediate outcomes, and final outcomes - recognizing limitations from scarce climate-specific indicators and few mature interventions.  

The IDB Group increased its institutional focus on adaptation, embedding climate considerations in most Sector Framework Documents and Country Strategies; however, strategic commitments did not systematically translate into operational measures. Adaptation support concentrated in five sectors - environment and disasters, water and sanitation, urban development and housing, transport, and agriculture - while other vulnerable sectors remained underserved. Only about half of IDB interventions and one-third of IDB Invest interventions aligned with specific climate vulnerabilities. Adaptive interventions - particularly climate-smart agriculture, green and blue infrastructure, and resilient water and transport systems - showed the strongest effectiveness, with nearly 60% rated highly effective. Anticipatory interventions showed mixed results, often due to limited follow-through on diagnostics. Absorptive interventions, especially Immediate Response Facilities, were highly effective in post-disaster recovery. Across the portfolio, weak monitoring frameworks and limited adaptation indicators constrained effectiveness assessments.  

The evaluation highlights the need to (i) focus adaptation support on highly vulnerable countries, sectors, and regions; (ii) strengthen the links between strategic planning and operational implementation; (iii) enhance synergies across anticipatory, adaptive, and absorptive interventions; and (iv) improve measurement and reporting of adaptation outcomes, while acknowledging inherent long-term evaluation challenges.
UR  - https://doi.org/10.18235/0013979
ER  -