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The author identifies five key functions for CSOs to promote the inclusion of climate risks in policy: improving public access to climate information, advocating for vulnerable groups, promoting accountability, supporting inclusive disaster risk reduction, and participating in inter-institutional coordination. The paper highlights that in developing countries, particularly Andean nations, local-level climate data is often scarce or inaccessible, and policy tends to favor high-GDP sectors over the most vulnerable small-scale producers. It argues that CSOs can bridge the gap between research institutions and the public and use community monitoring to ensure adaptation resources are distributed equitably.

The document describes how CARE Peru used the CRiSTAL and CVCA tools across 14 communities in the Peruvian Andes, specifically in the municipality of Santa Teresa, to identify and implement local adaptation measures. Key risks identified by residents include landslides, unpredictable rainfall, water scarcity, and plant diseases. Implemented solutions include model farms with drip irrigation and shade nets, livelihood diversification through tourism, and the empowerment of women through beekeeping and collective savings. The process has led to the integration of climate change adaptation into local municipal development plans.