Community-Based Approaches to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

Abstract

Climate change poses complex challenges that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities, particularly those in rural and coastal areas. Community-based approaches to adaptation and resilience have emerged as effective strategies to address these challenges by prioritizing local knowledge, participatory planning, and context-specific interventions. This study explores how community-driven initiatives can enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen social cohesion, and foster long-term resilience against climate-related risks. Through an integrative review of recent case studies, the research highlights successful practices such as participatory disaster risk mapping, sustainable livelihood diversification, and ecosystem-based adaptation. The findings suggest that bottom-up strategies are more sustainable compared to top-down policies, as they foster community ownership and accountability. Moreover, strong social capital and inclusive governance play a critical role in ensuring the success of these approaches. The study concludes that community-based adaptation not only reduces vulnerability but also empowers communities to proactively engage in climate governance. These insights provide valuable implications for policymakers, development practitioners, and researchers aiming to design climate adaptation frameworks that are locally relevant, socially just, and environmentally sustainable.