Published: 2013
WRI’s Rapid Institutional Analysis for Adaptation (ARIA) is a tool for civil-society organizations to aid national governments in responding to climate change. The tool examines four qualities of decision making:
- Comprehensiveness
- Transparency and participation
- Capacity
- Accountability
National coalitions of NGOs focus on identifying gaps in systems for vulnerability and impacts assessment, prioritization, coordination, information management, and adaptation mainstreaming. Providing tools for civil society organizations to evaluate institutional capacity is a key component of a broader strategy to focus adaptation efforts on the needs of vulnerable populations, the ecosystems they depend on, and the systems of governance which aid in development and resilience. ARIA has been used by civil society organizations in Bolivia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago, and Saint Lucia.