Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19

The 'Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19' project, led by CDKN and ICCCAD, documented 50 stories from June 2020 to October 2021 to understand how vulnerable communities navigate the combined impacts of the pandemic and climate change. The project emphasizes the role of spontaneous community organizing, particularly leadership from women and young people, in maintaining progress toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including food security, health, and climate action. The document urges policy-makers to devolve decision-making to the local level, co-fund micro-finance mechanisms, and partner flexibly with local civil society organizations to build resilience against future shocks.

• Low-income communities and informal settlements have faced the combined impact of Covid-19 and climate change, with the most socially and economically vulnerable populations being the hardest hit.
• Spontaneous community organizing, characterized by strong leadership from young people and women, has been essential for navigating disruptions by leveraging and creating social relationships, income opportunities, and information networks.
• Community-led efforts are helping to maintain progress and prevent the reversal of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically SDG1 (extreme poverty), SDG2 (food security), SDG3 (health and wellbeing), SDG5 (gender equality), SDG6 (water and sanitation), SDG8 (decent work), SDG13 (climate action), and SDG17 (partnerships).
• To improve resilience and response to shocks, policy-makers are advised to devolve decision-making to local levels, support micro-finance mechanisms for locally-led projects, and invest in community-level advocacy and literacy skills.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (2021). Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19. https://test.cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Voices-from-the-Front-Line-Flyer-WEB.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19. 2021. https://test.cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Voices-from-the-Front-Line-Flyer-WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19 |date=2021 |url=https://test.cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Voices-from-the-Front-Line-Flyer-WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetwork2021voices, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Voices from the Frontline of Covid-19}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2021}, url = {https://test.cdkn.org/sites/default/files/2021-12/Voices-from-the-Front-Line-Flyer-WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }