As the world faces the reality of climate change, the urgent needs of communities vulnerable to the changing climate must be addressed. Communities need support in how to adapt; and this adaptation must be rooted in local realities, though supported at district, regional, national and international levels by policy frameworks, and technical and financial resources. Community-based adaptation (CBA), a concept developed in the late 1990s by academics, was taken on board by development NGOs. As an emerging field of work, one for which the scientific knowledge base is fast increasing, it is vital that development practice, and the understanding and capacity of those affected, develops in tandem. This book is written largely by practitioners and researchers from Asia, sub Saharan Africa and Mexico. It derives emerging lessons which will assist in advancing academic work, as well as policy and practice at government level in developing countries, and will deepen understanding and create a sound basis for wider application of CBA among policy makers and practitioners in NGOs and other organizations working on CBA, as well as researchers and students studying climate change adaptation.

Poor people living in regions affected by fluctuating temperatures and rainfall, sea level rise, flooding and drought bear the brunt of climate change. These communities have no choice but to continue to use the resources at their disposal to adapt and survive. Yet in order to adapt people need to appreciate that potentially profound changes are in store and that future impacts are deeply uncertain."Understanding Adaptation to Climate Change" addresses these issues and provides responses to important questions for the international aid community as it seeks to address the impact of climate change. How can agencies assist local communities adapting to change? By what mechanisms can communities make the most of emerging information? Can effective community-based approaches be scaled up?By combining eight case studies from South Asia, Africa and Latin America with an overall analytical framework, the authors demonstrate that although communities adaptation strategies vary and depend upon local context, social networks play a pivotal role in accessing useful knowledge and resources. Through such networks, the key activities of reducing vulnerability, fostering resilience, and developing the capacity to experiment and learn are combined and communicated to other communities.This book is essential reading for NGO practitioners, students, and government and NGO policy makers who wish to gain an understanding of what adaptation means in theory and practice."