What Constitutes Successful Adaptation Measures? Reflections from the National and Local Context of Nepal; HI-AWARE Working Paper 17

Adaptation needs and options contain a wide variety of interventions, reflecting their multi-faceted nature. The study identified elements of successful adaptation measures and criteria for evaluating them for which the method of Multi- Criteria Analysis (MCA) was used. Participatory methods such as focus group discussions and interviews with key informants were included. District level workshops were organized to collate data and information.

The findings showed that elements of successful adaptation options are context-specific, and vary between and among different stakeholder groups and scales of prioritization of evaluation criteria. These criteria also vary on a temporal scale (locally, sub-nationally and nationally). The findings imply that a blanket approach for understanding successful adaptation and evaluating adaptation options is not applicable at all levels. Instead, a context-specific and stakeholder-based understanding and application of the elements of successful adaptation and evaluation criteria will prove more useful for designing effective adaptation options.