SEI Stockholm Environment Institute
Enabling Inclusive Climate Finance in Asia through Fit-for-Purpose Capacity Development Planning and Action (2023–2025)

Regional Capacity Gap Dashboard

Findings from a multi-country needs assessment across Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Thailand – informing the design of fit-for-purpose capacity building programs

Survey 34 Interviews 4 Focus groups
102
Survey respondents
34
Expert interviews
70
FGD participants
4
Countries
Methodology

A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative survey data with qualitative insights

1
Online survey
102 respondents across 4 countries, pilot-tested scales, snowball sampling
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2
Expert interviews
34 semi-structured interviews with climate finance experts, Mar–Aug 2024
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3
Focus groups
Full-day sessions in each country to validate and enrich findings
Guided by Gender Equality and Social Inclusion (GESI) principles throughout
Country profiles

Four countries at different stages of climate finance readiness

38
Bangladesh
ND-GAIN: 164th
Lower-middle
26
Cambodia
ND-GAIN: 128th
Lower-middle
27
Nepal
ND-GAIN: 130th
Low income
24
Thailand
ND-GAIN: 68th
Upper-middle
Key findings

Common regional patterns and country-specific challenges

Common gaps identified across all four countries:
Understanding international climate finance mechanisms78%
Monitoring & evaluation systems72%
Operationalizing GESI principles65%
Country-specific gaps:
Bangladesh
Climate finance accounting & transparency
Cambodia
Bankable project development pipeline
Nepal
Local government capacity
Thailand
SME engagement
Barriers to inclusive climate finance – filter by country:
Awareness vs. relevance perception of humanitarian principles across countries:
Bangladesh Cambodia Nepal Thailand
Priority training topics

Ranked by frequency of being identified as top priority

Preferred learning modalities

Strong preference for interactive, in-person formats over online-only

On-site training81%
Workshops78%
Exposure / field visits71%
Online courses37%
Coaching36%
Webinars27%
Language accessibility
Bangladesh: 45% prefer local Cambodia: 61% prefer local Nepal: 50% prefer local Thailand: 58% prefer local
Priority target groups

Who should participate in capacity building programs

Environment & climate agency staff94%
Finance & economic ministry staff83%
Civil society organizations75%
Academic & research institutions70%
Secondary groups: media, private sector / SMEs, local government staff, parliamentary committee members
Recommendations

Consolidated across all four countries and three data collection methods

For design
–Prioritize in-person, interactive training
–Develop materials in local languages
–Balance foundational knowledge with practical skills
For content
–International climate finance mechanisms
–Inclusion & rights-based approaches
–Loss & damage finance
–Monitoring & evaluation
For delivery
–Target government & CSO audiences
–Ensure accessibility for all
–Include marginalized groups
For sustainability
–Build local training capacity
–Establish feedback mechanisms
–Create case study repositories
Who should use these findings

Tailored guidance for three key stakeholder groups

Funders & development partners
Prioritize capacity-building investments that are accessible, locally owned, and guided by GESI principles. Structure climate finance to embed capacity support.
Implementing organizations
Use priority topics (international mechanisms, inclusion, M&E) and preferred modalities (in-person, interactive) to design curriculum. Deliver in local languages.
Policymakers
Address siloed governance, unclear institutional mandates, and weak inter-ministerial coordination. Create enabling conditions for capacity-building.
Accessibility of existing programs

Only 5–10% of respondents rated existing climate finance capacity-building programs as accessible. The need to bridge the capacity gap is urgent – climate impacts are accelerating, and building institutions, systems, and human capabilities takes years.

The project was implemented by
Stockholm Environment Institute Asia · Centre for Finance for Sustainability

This dashboard utilised AI-assisted development tools, specifically Claude Code integrated within Visual Studio Code, to support elements of coding, debugging, and content structuring. The AI tool was used to accelerate routine programming tasks, suggest code improvements, and assist in formatting and visual design. All content, data, and findings are based on original research conducted by SEI Asia and the Centre for Finance for Sustainability. Icons used in the recommendations section are sourced from Atlas Icons, an open-source icon library available under a free licence.