Financiamiento de la adaptación al cambio climático a nivel local. Un análisis desde la autonomía territorial y los esfuerzos de descentralización en Colombia tomando como caso de estudio el departamento de Cundinamarca

Abstract

Climate-resilient development at the local level requires sufficient flows of climate finance. However, securing the necessary resources to fund climate change adaptation can be challenging in centralised state models with limited territorial autonomy. Centralised decision-making on climate finance increases territories' vulnerability and limits the actions that must be urgently taken locally to respond to the climate crisis. This work addresses the relationship between climate change adaptation financing at the local level and decentralisation. Multivariate statistics were utilised to thoroughly examine the variables of the fiscal performance index and the climate change risk index for all municipalities located in the Department of Cundinamarca. The findings reveal that the municipalities within the department heavily rely on national transfers, highlighting the extent of decentralisation and territorial autonomy. Under this context of limited territorial autonomy, we have identified the factors that impact the municipalities' ability to access climate finance. The following five key factors are outlined to increase climate finance flows for adaptation in the country and ensure alignment with climate-resilient development. The urgency of implementing adaptation measures appropriate to the different territorial contexts, the strengthening of territorial autonomy, the inclusion of a specific item for adaptation in the allocation of transfers from the General System of Participation, the adoption of more comprehensive climate finance schemes and the decentralisation of the National Climate Change System.