Adaptation to climate change is now a well-recognised issue for both policy and science. The international community’s support for adaptation in developing countries is most evident in the numerous complementary funding mechanisms that exist to support the implementation of adaptation. Although concerns have been raised exactly what this money will be spent on, policymakers and practitioners are now faced with the pressing challenge of ensuring that the process of adaptation imple­mentation promotes robust and equitable outcomes. In fact, while funding commitments are clearly enabling actions to be taken on adaptation, a range of serious practical issues are emerging, as adaptation moves from theory and international negotiation to implementation. We identify three areas deserving greater scrutiny: addressing priorities through consultation and participation, identifying appropriate entry points and scales and strengthening delivery systems for sustainable adaptation. We also discuss ways to improve adaptation practice and how to counteract some of these challenges. Lastly, we argue that these concerns, if not addressed, have the potential to hamper attempts at effective delivery and to increase the vulnerability of intended beneficiaries of the adaptation agenda.