Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods

CRiSTAL (Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods) is a decision-support tool developed by IUCN, IISD, SEI, and Intercooperation to help project managers understand the links between climate, livelihoods, and project activities. The tool uses a four-step analytical framework implemented via Microsoft Excel to identify climate hazards, assess their impact on livelihood resources, and adjust project activities to enhance adaptive capacity and minimize maladaptation. Since its 2007 launch, it has been applied in over 20 countries, following initial field tests in Mali, Bangladesh, Tanzania, Nicaragua, and Sri Lanka.

• CRiSTAL provides an analytical framework to help users understand how climate-related hazards affect project areas and local livelihoods, how people cope with these impacts, and which livelihood resources are most critical for coping. It further assesses how project activities affect these resources and identifies necessary adjustments to increase their availability.
• The tool is structured into two modules and four logical steps: Module 1 covers the climate context (current hazards, climate change, impacts, and coping strategies) and the livelihood context (identifying resources and rating hazard impacts and importance). Module 2 focuses on assessing project impacts on those resources and adjusting project activities to reduce vulnerability and enhance adaptive capacity.
• CRiSTAL was developed by a partnership including the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI), and Intercooperation to prevent maladaptation and foster adaptation based on local conditions.
• The tool utilizes Microsoft Excel for data recording and summarization. While it requires some secondary scientific information for the initial climate context step, the remaining data is gathered through stakeholder and community consultations.
• Since its launch in 2007, CRiSTAL has been used in more than 20 countries. Its development included initial field tests on natural resource management projects in Sri Lanka, Nicaragua, Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Mali.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (n.d.). Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_cristal_en.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods. n.d. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_cristal_en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_cristal_en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopmentndcommunitybased, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/brochure_cristal_en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }