Engaging Communities in Climate Vulnerability Assessment

The report outlines six key takeaways from participatory climate vulnerability assessments conducted in nearly 100 communities across Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe between 2024 and 2025. It emphasizes the need to integrate community knowledge with scientific data, involve local governments to institutionalize adaptation, and manage expectations during overlapping crises. The document argues that these assessments are foundational for locally led adaptation by linking local insights with climate projections to understand risks across diverse social groups and ecosystems.

• Participatory climate vulnerability assessments serve as the basis for effective locally led adaptation by connecting local perspectives on vulnerabilities and impacts with scientific climate projections, allowing for a detailed understanding of risks to livelihoods, ecosystems, and various social groups.
• Between 2024 and 2025, a consortium including IISD, CARE, the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network implemented these assessment processes in approximately 100 communities across Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Mozambique.
• Effective implementation of these assessments requires integrating community knowledge with scientific data, which necessitates a strong grasp of climate science and the ability to address cognitive biases.
• To ensure community-based adaptation is institutionalized, it is critical to involve other key actors and local governments from the beginning and throughout the assessment process.
• Practitioners must use sensitive communication and manage expectations when conducting assessments during simultaneous political, economic, biodiversity, and climate crises.
• Maintaining community engagement depends on transparent communication regarding the capabilities and limitations of the participatory climate vulnerability assessment process.

APA

Dazé,, J. D. M. (2026). Engaging Communities in Climate Vulnerability Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/community-engagement-climate-vulnerability-assessment

Chicago

Dazé,, Julie Dekens,Stefan Mielke,Angie. Engaging Communities in Climate Vulnerability Assessment. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2026. https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/community-engagement-climate-vulnerability-assessment.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dazé, |first1=Julie Dekens,Stefan Mielke,Angie |title=Engaging Communities in Climate Vulnerability Assessment |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=26 February 2026 |url=https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/community-engagement-climate-vulnerability-assessment |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daz2026engaging, author = {Dazé,, Julie Dekens,Stefan Mielke,Angie}, title = {{Engaging Communities in Climate Vulnerability Assessment}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2026}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/publications/report/community-engagement-climate-vulnerability-assessment}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }