Scaling local and community-based adaptation

The document examines the role of local and community-based adaptation (CBA) in addressing climate risks, emphasizing that while local actions are often the most cost-effective and socially acceptable, they are frequently hindered by top-down planning and insufficient financing. It proposes a shift toward locally led processes that integrate indigenous knowledge, devolved financing, and multi-stakeholder governance to achieve sustainable and equitable resilience.

• Local and community-based adaptation (CBA) is critical because it leverages granular local knowledge to design strategies that are tailored to specific locations and aligned with wider development priorities, often yielding economic benefits that exceed estimated costs.
• Current adaptation efforts are predominantly short-term, externally driven, and project-based, which fails to build long-term local capabilities and often ignores the needs of the most marginalized, such as uneducated women and the elderly.
• There is a significant gap in climate finance reaching the local level; between 2003 and 2016, less than 10 percent of international climate funds were directed to local climate response actions.
• Effective scaling of CBA requires a transition from technocratic, top-down initiatives to locally led programs that prioritize people's well-being and utilize indigenous and experiential knowledge.
• Localized climate information systems, which combine scientific data with indigenous knowledge, are essential enablers for bottom-up adaptation, as seen in Kenya where weather advisories improved drought and flood responses.
• Successful local adaptation is supported by four interrelated factors: access to long-term and flexible devolved financing, prioritization of local capacity-building, institutionalization of adaptation through good governance, and the inclusion of the private sector.
• Case studies demonstrate diverse successful local interventions: the 'Triple-F Model' in Bangladesh combined mangroves, fish, and fruit for income and protection; the Vunidogoloa relocation in Fiji addressed sea-level rise; and the 'Trees on Farms' program in Zambia utilized agroforestry.
• Monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) for CBA lack universal indicators, leading to inconsistent methodologies; however, pilots in Morocco, Kenya, and Mozambique are attempting to use local-specific indicators to inform national plans.

APA

Mfitumukiza, D., Roy, A. S., Simane, B., Hammill, A., Rahman, M. F., & Huq, S. (2020). Scaling local and community-based adaptation. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Local_Adaptation_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf

Chicago

Mfitumukiza, David, Arghya Sinha Roy, Belay Simane, Anne Hammill, Mohammad Feisal Rahman, and Saleemul Huq. Scaling local and community-based adaptation. World Resources Institute, 2020. https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Local_Adaptation_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Mfitumukiza |first1=David |last2=Roy |first2=Arghya Sinha |last3=Simane |first3=Belay |last4=Hammill |first4=Anne |last5=Rahman |first5=Mohammad Feisal |last6=Huq |first6=Saleemul |title=Scaling local and community-based adaptation |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2 June 2020 |url=https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Local_Adaptation_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{mfitumukiza2020scaling, author = {Mfitumukiza, David and Roy, Arghya Sinha and Simane, Belay and Hammill, Anne and Rahman, Mohammad Feisal and Huq, Saleemul}, title = {{Scaling local and community-based adaptation}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2020}, month = jun, url = {https://files.wri.org/s3fs-public/uploads/Local_Adaptation_Paper_-_Global_Commission_on_Adaptation.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }