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The project addresses the lack of empirical work on the links between social and ecological resilience in heterogeneous territories experiencing rapid transformation. By conducting multi-stakeholder workshops in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, the project co-designed research questions and developed a comparative territorial baseline using economic, social, and geographic variables. Preliminary conceptual reviews indicate a lack of clear definitions and links between ecological and social resilience in existing literature.

The #SeAdapta project investigates the adaptive capacity of small-scale fisheries in Latin America, specifically focusing on Yellow Clam, Spiny Lobster, and Sea Cucumber. In Uruguay, the project emphasizes the value of combining conventional science with local ecological knowledge. In Argentina, research on yellow and wedge clams shows that shell properties and population abundance are negatively impacted by El Niño and low-salinity waters. In the Galapagos Islands, the project found that while the seafood system is vulnerable to global shocks like COVID-19, small-scale fisheries are critical for food security, leading to recommendations for systemic transformation through local consumption, entrepreneurial support, technology against illegal fishing, and circular economy practices.

The project addresses the lack of empirical research on the links between social and ecological resilience in heterogeneous territories facing rapid environmental change. By conducting multi-stakeholder workshops in Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia, the project co-designed research questions with participants ranging from civil society to national government. Parallel conceptual work includes a literature review of resilience definitions and the creation of a comparative territory baseline using economic, social, and geographical variables for the four study regions.

The study analyzes the governance network of the Galapagos small-scale fishing sector, identifying 43 organizations and 257 links. It finds that the public sector plays a dominant role in sending organizational links and that reciprocity and popularity are significant network features. The authors argue that identifying central and bridging nodes is critical for improving the sector's adaptive capacity to face crises like climate change and pandemics.

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.

The document outlines a five-step participatory scenario development (PSD) process designed to integrate local stakeholder knowledge with scientific climate projections to create plausible future development pathways. It argues that the most effective PSD brings together 'expert' and stakeholder knowledge to balance biophysical risks with social issues. A case study in Lake Balaton, Hungary, illustrates the process, where 80 participants identified key economic factors—such as tourism and agriculture—and developed adaptation strategies including rainwater storage and the use of native crop varieties. The guide concludes that PSD helps identify development priorities that simultaneously increase adaptive capacity, though it notes the challenge of linking quantitative climate data with qualitative scenarios.

The document discusses the conceptual framework for identifying 'climate vulnerability hotspots'—areas where natural systems and human populations are highly susceptible to climate risks. It emphasizes that vulnerability is not solely a product of poverty, as resource-dependent societies often possess established coping strategies. The author advocates for an integrated analysis combining knowledge of climate impacts, threat complexes, and the spatial distribution of vulnerability. Key findings suggest that vulnerability is unevenly distributed across socio-economic groups and that future vulnerability may not align with present-day patterns. The paper concludes by outlining a research agenda that calls for the integration of local knowledge, participatory techniques with GIS, and an international dialogue to establish best practices for hotspot identification.

The CIRCLE ERA-Net project established a Nordic research network to examine local climate adaptation and mitigation through three workshops held in Norway, Sweden, and Finland between 2008 and 2009. The project identified that local adaptive capacity is historically linked to national policy and that adaptation and mitigation are often integrated in local discussions. Findings suggest that while national initiatives are necessary, they are insufficient on their own, and that local capacity in peripheral regions often depends on market-based competitiveness. The project resulted in two joint peer-reviewed articles and a proposal for a follow-up network, NORDCLAD-Net, to further interdisciplinary research and communication on adaptation.

Work Package 2 (WP2) of the CADWAGO project investigates how formal and informal institutional arrangements mediate the relationship between society and water resources under the pressure of climate change. Using a social institutions framework, the research employs two primary analytical tools: the context-structure-process-outcomes (CSPO) framework to analyse organisational functioning and the "five capitals" approach (human, social, natural, physical, and financial) to evaluate adaptive capacity. The study utilizes ten international case studies, including specific analyses of flooding in the Baltic Sea Region and along the south-east Queensland coast, to identify governance practices that enable systemic transformation and water security. Led by the University of the Sunshine Coast with partners from Griffith University, the University of Tasmania, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the work involves stakeholder interviews and literature synthesis to provide policy-makers with insights into climate change adaptation regimes.

The document examines the limitations of narrow definitions of community-based adaptation (CBA), asserting that local efforts cannot succeed in isolation. It highlights that communities are not homogenous entities and that the success of adaptation depends on 'enabling conditions' provided by external institutions and policies. The author argues that because vulnerability is driven by a complex mosaic of assets and social dynamics, adaptation must be circumstance-specific rather than based on universal templates.

The document examines water scarcity in the Mekong Region, highlighting a governance structure often dominated by top-down authority and a lack of enforceable water allocation rights. It notes that urban and industrial needs are typically prioritized over agriculture, leaving vulnerable groups—particularly women and the rural poor—at higher risk. The briefing also discusses the influence of international financial institutions and political motivations on irrigation infrastructure and the projected impacts of climate change, including increased temperature and seasonal rainfall uncertainty, which threaten agricultural productivity and food security.

The paper examines the 2008 food crisis and subsequent shocks to understand how vulnerable households in developing countries respond to complex crises. It argues that because household-level impacts manifest similarly regardless of the crisis's origin, there is an opportunity to develop robust, broad-spectrum policy responses.

The document reports that over 60% of the world's coral reefs are currently threatened by local human activities, with projections suggesting this could rise to nearly 100% by 2050 if left unchecked. It identifies key local stressors as overfishing, destructive fishing, coastal development, and pollution, alongside global threats like coral bleaching and ocean acidification caused by greenhouse gas emissions. The text emphasizes that countries such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Kiribati, Vanuatu, Tanzania, and Haiti are very highly vulnerable to reef loss due to high dependence on reef services and low adaptive capacity.