Resilience in AcƟon: Lessons from Public‐Private CollaboraƟons Around the World

This policy brief by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network describes nine case studies of public-private collaborations (PPCs) in developing countries designed to build resilience against climate change and natural disasters. It outlines success factors for these partnerships, emphasizing local engagement, scalability, the strengthening of micro-enterprises, and the use of innovative technology and value-chain partnerships to overcome traditional market barriers.

• Successful resilience-building PPCs require a foundation of local engagement and trust, which involves tailoring activities to local needs and leveraging existing relationships to reduce transaction costs. For example, the Lake Chilwa Basin Climate Change Adaptation Programme built trust by conducting workshops with community leaders before implementing technical interventions.
• To achieve necessary scale, PPCs should be designed for replicability and scalability. Replicable models typicallyS typically feature simple structures and globally applicable content, such as the "Get Airports Ready for Disaster" (GARD) programme. Scalable models often rely on a strong champion and a clear business case for profitability, as seen with the Maowusu Biomass Thermoelectric Company in China, which converted over 24,000 hectares of desert to arable land.
• Building adaptive capacity is achieved by strengthening businesses and livelihoods, specifically through the development of micro-enterprises and the creation of self-sustaining social enterprises. The Mwanza Rural Housing Programme (MRHP) in Tanzania exemplified this by incubating brick-making micro-enterprises to increase the use of flood-resilient materials.
• Financial sustainability in resilience projects can be enhanced by diversifying revenue streams and adding value to products when yields decline. In the Lake Chilwa Basin programme, solar fish drying allowed community groups to sell value-added products, while the Zambia water kiosks programme enabled operators to sell household staples alongside water.
• PPCs can overcome high up-front costs for start-ups through innovative business models, such as contract-based models or by facilitating access to finance. The Zambia water kiosks programme eliminated launch costs by providing the kiosks, and the Sri Lanka micro-hydro project partnered with a network of financing institutions to provide credit for off-grid systems.
• Partnerships across and along value chains can mitigate supply chain risks and create new markets. Thanksgiving Coffee initiated a climate adaptation programme in Rwanda after a request from its supplier, and the MRHP in Tanzania linked rice growers with brick-makers to use rice husks as kiln fuel.
• Innovative alternatives to traditional infrastructure, such as ICT platforms and off-grid energy, provide cost-efficient resilience solutions. AfricaFertilizer.Org uses SMS to reach approximately 475 million cellphone users in sub-Saharan Africa, and micro-hydro projects in Sri Lanka provide rural energy access that supports small business development.

APA

Becker-Birck, C., Crowe, J., Lee, J., & Jackson, S. (2013). Resilience in AcƟon: Lessons from Public‐Private CollaboraƟons Around the World. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Resilience-in-Action-Policymaker-Summary-1.pdf

Chicago

Becker-Birck, Christina, Jon Crowe, Joanne Lee, and Summer Jackson. Resilience in AcƟon: Lessons from Public‐Private CollaboraƟons Around the World. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2013. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Resilience-in-Action-Policymaker-Summary-1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Becker-Birck |first1=Christina |last2=Crowe |first2=Jon |last3=Lee |first3=Joanne |last4=Jackson |first4=Summer |title=Resilience in AcƟon: Lessons from Public‐Private CollaboraƟons Around the World |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=2013 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Resilience-in-Action-Policymaker-Summary-1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{beckerbirck2013resilience, author = {Becker-Birck, Christina and Crowe, Jon and Lee, Joanne and Jackson, Summer}, title = {{Resilience in AcƟon: Lessons from Public‐Private CollaboraƟons Around the World}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2013}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Resilience-in-Action-Policymaker-Summary-1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }