Sustainable Livelihoods & Climate Change Adaptation

This report reviews Phase One (December 2001 – December 2003) of a project by IUCN, IISD, SEI-B, and Intercooperation aimed at reducing the vulnerability of poor communities to climate change. The project advocates for an integrated approach to adaptation that combines disaster risk reduction, environmental management, and poverty reduction, specifically emphasizing sustainable livelihoods (SL) and ecosystem management and restoration (EM&R). Phase One focused on establishing a theoretical basis, collecting evidence through case studies and desk-based assessments, and communicating this approach to policy audiences to prepare for the operationalization of adaptation in Phase Two.

• The project shifted its conceptual focus from a narrow emphasis on natural resource management (NRM) and ecosystem management and restoration (EM&R) to a broader 'sustainable livelihoods' (SL) approach. This approach views poverty as a form of vulnerability to shocks and seeks to build household resilience by increasing access to a blend of assets, while still maintaining EM&R as a critical component.
• Empirical research and desk-based assessments confirmed that SL and EM&R interventions—such as watershed restoration, mangrove reforestation, and rangeland rehabilitation—increase community resilience to climate hazards by restoring physical environment buffers, diversifying production systems, and building local capacity.
• Successful local-level vulnerability reduction depends on several enabling factors: a deep understanding of local livelihoods and climate risks, community-driven implementation and organization, active participation of women, local capacity building, the blending of traditional and modern knowledge, and the reconciliation of immediate development needs with long-term goals.
• The report identifies critical entry points for integrating community-based adaptation into the UNFCCC's National Adaptation Programmes of Action (NAPAs) for Least Developed Countries (LDCs). These include including EM&R specialists in NAPA teams, focusing participatory assessments on the most vulnerable settings, and identifying synergies between adaptation and other development activities.
• The UNDP-GEF Adaptation Policy Framework (APF) provides a structured process for developing adaptation strategies. The report suggests that the most critical opportunity to ensure the inclusion of micro-level sustainable livelihood activities is during 'Step One' (project scoping and design) by including representatives with experience in community-based vulnerability reduction.
• Phase One results established an institutional platform (the Task Force on Climate Change, Vulnerable Communities and Adaptation) that bridges disaster risk reduction, NRM, climate action, and poverty reduction, creating a network of academic, research, and policy organizations.
• The report argues that adaptation should be a 'no-regrets' starting point by implementing existing local resilience-building activities immediately, rather than waiting for further guidance, as vulnerabilities continue to increase.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2004). Sustainable Livelihoods & Climate Change Adaptation. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_sustainable_livelihoods.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Sustainable Livelihoods & Climate Change Adaptation. 2004. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_sustainable_livelihoods.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Sustainable Livelihoods & Climate Change Adaptation |date=February 2004 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_sustainable_livelihoods.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2004sustainable, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Sustainable Livelihoods \& Climate Change Adaptation}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2004}, month = feb, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/envsec_sustainable_livelihoods.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }