Climate adaptation in Asia is shifting towards systemic integration, moving from localized interventions to institutionalized approaches. The focus is on embedding climate resilience through regulatory alignment, cross-ministerial coordination, and climate analytics in infrastructure decisions. Strengthening vertical integration between community priorities and national investment systems is crucial for lasting resilience. Investments in governance systems are needed to enhance climate adaptation finance effectiveness, with adaptive programming essential for resilience to climatic shocks and governance fluctuations in Asia.
Author: Gca
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Strengthening Climate Adaptation Through Gender-Responsive Action in Bangladesh – Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) in Bangladesh is strengthening gender equality and social inclusion in climate adaptation efforts through training sessions for internal Program Focals and partner organizations. The training aims to embed gender-responsive approaches into climate adaptation planning, implementation, and monitoring, with participants learning practical tools to apply gender analysis across program cycles. Real-world practice is already being influenced, with project consultants incorporating concepts of equality and equity into infrastructure projects and partners ensuring women and marginalized groups have a voice in defining local adaptation priorities. Recognizing diverse voices and incorporating gender evaluation is essential for strong resilience in climate adaptation, shaping a more equitable, inclusive, and sustainable future for climate action in Bangladesh.
https://gca.org/strengthening-climate-adaptation-through-gender-responsive-action-in-bangladesh/
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Adaptation Is a Security Imperative for Africa — and the World, GCA New Report Highlights – Global Center on Adaptation
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) released a report at the Munich Security Conference highlighting the impact of climate-related events like droughts and floods on conflict in the Sahel and Horn of Africa. The report emphasizes the need for global security-related expenditure to be directed towards climate adaptation in these vulnerable regions, showing that adaptation investments can reduce insecurity by strengthening coping capacity and reinforcing local institutions. It stresses that investing in climate adaptation is crucial for promoting peace and security in conflict-prone regions like the Sahel and Horn of Africa, with examples of how adaptation measures can act as preventive security. The report also outlines five priority actions to address these issues, including integrating governance and stability into adaptation planning and investing in regional early warning systems, while introducing the GCA as an international organization working to promote climate adaptation and climate-proof development through policy reforms and influencing investments.
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From Classrooms to Communities: Education for Climate Action in Cameroon – Global Center on Adaptation
Cameroon faces climate challenges such as unpredictable rainfall patterns and rising temperatures, but a youth-led initiative called Enhancing Climate Education in Schools for Sustainable Climate Action is working to bridge the gap between high-level climate policies and practical knowledge at the community level. Climate Change and Innovation Clubs have been established to empower students with skills and knowledge for climate adaptation, reaching over 5,000 students, planting over 400 trees, and establishing regenerative school gardens since their launch in 2024. The importance of youth leadership in advancing climate adaptation in Africa, particularly in Cameroon, is highlighted, showing that investing in youth leadership is essential for sustainable and long-term climate adaptation. These initiatives demonstrate that young people can be effective agents of change in bridging the gap between policy and practice at the community level.
https://gca.org/from-classrooms-to-communities-education-for-climate-action-in-cameroon/
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Building Resilience from the Ground Up: Risk-Informed Planning in Congo and Burundi – Global Center on Adaptation
Communities in the Republic of Congo and Burundi are facing recurring flood risks, land degradation, and erosion due to poor infrastructure and limited financial support. The Global Center on Adaptation and the World Bank partnered to develop Community Resilience Spatial Frameworks (CRSFs) for vulnerable neighborhoods in each country, focusing on community engagement and integrating locally developed resilience measures. These frameworks outline short-term and medium-term interventions, prioritized with community input and multi-criteria analysis, emphasizing a portfolio approach to resilience. The CRSFs developed in various neighborhoods serve as replicable models for other cities in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlighting the importance of bottom-up planning and community-driven climate resilience to make adaptation more just, inclusive, and effective.
https://gca.org/building-resilience-from-the-ground-up-risk-informed-planning-in-congo-and-burundi/
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Are Nature-Based Solutions the Key to Adapting Under Uncertainty? – Global Center on Adaptation
Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) are gaining momentum as a way to adapt to climate change in an uncertain future. NbS use healthy ecosystems to tackle real-world challenges, such as restoring mangroves to protect coastlines or creating wetlands to absorb floods. These solutions are multifunctional, providing multiple benefits like carbon storage, biodiversity support, and local livelihood strengthening. NbS align well with practical strategies for adaptation under uncertainty, such as providing no-regret actions, built-in flexibility, extra safety without huge costs, smarter policies, and smaller, incremental steps. Overall, NbS offer a flexible, adaptable, and low-risk approach to climate adaptation in an uncertain world. Poorly designed NbS projects can create trade-offs and make communities more vulnerable, so adaptive management and monitoring are essential. Delaying action on climate solutions carries its own risks and costs. NbS may not be a silver bullet, but they provide valuable tools for addressing climate challenges.
https://gca.org/are-nature-based-solutions-the-key-to-adapting-under-uncertainty/
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When The Heat Is On: Stories of Action and Impact – Global Center on Adaptation
The Heat Is On campaign, launched by the Global Center on Adaptation, aims to spotlight proven adaptation solutions to combat extreme heat, such as early warning systems and nature-based solutions. These initiatives have already saved lives, protected livelihoods, and absorbed CO2 emissions. The campaign has successfully connected policymakers, practitioners, and communities globally, building momentum for adaptation action. At COP30 in Belém, the campaign helped elevate adaptation on par with mitigation, leading to a decision to triple adaptation finance under the Belém Package. Accelerating adaptation action, scaling solutions, and protecting communities from extreme heat must remain a global priority.
https://gca.org/when-the-heat-is-on-stories-of-action-and-impact/
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How Adaptation Moved From Vision to Delivery in 2025 – Global Center on Adaptation
In 2025, the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) made significant progress in promoting climate-resilient infrastructure design, elevating local leadership, and engaging youth in climate adaptation action globally. The GCA focused on scaling political momentum, finance, and practical solutions to build resilient economies, with a particular emphasis on food security and rural well-being. The year ended with political momentum, financial commitments, and technical innovations to expand adaptation solutions, setting the stage for accelerated implementation in 2026. The focus for the future is to support resilient food systems, urban infrastructure, and bring adaptation to every community in need, emphasizing that resilience is a choice built day by day, investment by investment, and community by community.
https://gca.org/how-adaptation-moved-from-vision-to-delivery-in-2025/
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Indigenous Knowledge Systems in Adaptation & Agriculture – Global Center on Adaptation
Climate impacts are reshaping farming techniques globally, with unreliable rainfall and flash floods complicating food production in the Global South. Indigenous seed varieties and regenerative farming practices are at risk, affecting the nutritional health of populations. Communities in Zambia are implementing ecosystem-based adaptation to combat water shortages, emphasizing peer-to-peer learning and combining innovation with Indigenous practices for a sustainable future.
https://gca.org/indigenous-knowledge-systems-in-adaptation-agriculture/
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Intergenerational Wisdom and the Future of Pacific Resilience – Global Center on Adaptation
The Pacific Islands are leading the way in developing sustainable climate adaptation strategies by combining traditional knowledge with modern tools. Intergenerational dialogue and youth involvement are crucial in bridging the gap between Indigenous wisdom and innovative solutions. By emphasizing resilience as their shared legacy, Pacific nations are positioning themselves as global leaders in demonstrating a dignified path forward in the face of the climate crisis. Their approach serves as a model for the world, showcasing how to balance past and present knowledge to create technologically robust and culturally grounded solutions.
https://gca.org/intergenerational-wisdom-and-the-future-of-pacific-resilience/