Scaling Success

The report argues that climate adaptation must shift from small-scale, time-bound pilots to larger activities that inform policy and benefit more people. It introduces a scaling framework that requires dedicated financial and human resources at the project design phase. Based on an analysis of twenty-one projects and four deep-dive case studies in rainfed India, the report identifies coordination, knowledge sharing, and community ownership as critical enabling conditions for success. It specifically highlights the urgency of adaptation in rainfed areas of India to prevent significant yield decreases and revenue losses in South Asia.

• Successful scaling of adaptation activities requires the integration of specific enabling conditions, most notably the coordination and sharing of lessons learned among multiple actors across different landscapes, as well as active community participation and ownership throughout the project lifecycle.
• Scaling should be integrated into the project design phase with dedicated financial and human resources; furthermore, horizontal and vertical scaling pathways can mutually support one another.
• Adaptation is critical for rainfed agricultural systems in India due to climate change threats to food security, with projections suggesting that a lack of adaptation could lead to farm-level net revenue losses between 9 percent and 25 percent in the South Asia region.

APA

World Resources Institute (n.d.). Scaling Success. https://www.wri.org/research/scaling-success

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Scaling Success. n.d. https://www.wri.org/research/scaling-success.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Scaling Success |url=https://www.wri.org/research/scaling-success |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitutendscaling, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Scaling Success}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, url = {https://www.wri.org/research/scaling-success}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }