Communities across the world are creating practical, innovative ways to cope with the impacts of the climate crisis, from safeguarding homes to protecting livelihoods. These locally driven solutions prove that people living through the worst effects of the climate emergency hold the most effective answers.
The Problem: Climate adaptation strategies are falling short
Millions of people are experiencing devastating consequences as the climate crisis intensifies, facing floods, droughts, heatwaves, and rising sea levels. Yet many adaptation strategies coming from governments fall short, often overlooking the lived realities, knowledge, and priorities of the very communities they aim to protect.
Marginalised groups -especially women, youth, and informal settlement residents- are typically excluded from formal planning processes, despite being among the most vulnerable and most knowledgeable about local risks. Adaptation is often limited to technical fixes, missing the social infrastructure, participation, and justice which is the foundation for long-term, locally rooted resilience.
The Solution: Community-Led Adaptation in Action
Across continents, communities are mobilising with creativity, knowledge, and solidarity to face climate risks. Projects recognised by the World Habitat Awards exemplify how local leadership and partnership can drive meaningful change.
In Senegal, the UrbaSEN and Fédération Sénégalaise des Habitants (2023 WHA Gold Winner) tackled frequent flooding in Dakar’s informal settlements. More than 15,000 women pooled savings to access microloans for home upgrades, co-designed drainage systems, created flood warning alerts, and produced climate-smart construction materials from local resources like clay and invasive plants. The process combined grassroots organisation with technical innovation, empowering residents and influencing public infrastructure planning.
In Puerto Rico, following the devastation of Hurricane Maria, the Caño Martín Peña Community Land Trust (2021 WHA Gold Winner) responded by securing land tenure, rebuilding homes with climate-resilient features, and restoring natural ecosystems. Their integrated approach blended legal empowerment, participatory design, and environmental stewardship, ensuring long-term security and dignity for low-income communities in San Juan.
Meanwhile, in Kenya and Tanzania, the DARAJA Weather Forecasting and Early Warning Service (2024 WHA Bronze Winner) developed co-designed, hyper-local forecasts in partnership with informal settlement residents. These tools delivered life-saving alerts and actionable climate information, strengthening community preparedness against extreme rainfall and urban flooding.
In Nepal, Lumanti Support Group for Shelter helps communities rebuild after the 2015 earthquakes using local materials and climate-sensitive design. Their approach goes beyond housing, integrating water harvesting, disaster preparedness, and community-led infrastructure planning.
And in El Salvador, FUNDASAL’s rural capacity-building programme (WHA 2025 Bronze Winner) trained communities to self-build and upgrade resilient homes. The initiative connected climate adaptation with food security and local livelihoods, offering a holistic model for rural resilience.
The Impact: Resilience That Works
These examples share common threads: locally owned processes, inclusive governance, and sustainable outcomes.
- In Dakar, over 20,000 people benefited from infrastructure upgrades guided by community mapping and planning, reshaping municipal investment priorities.
- In San Juan, community land ownership ensured housing and environmental improvements were protected from displacement and future disasters.
- DARAJA’s forecasts enabled real-time responses to climate hazards, saving lives and property in high-risk urban areas.
- FUNDASAL’s work strengthened rural communities not only against climate shocks but also against chronic vulnerabilities like housing insecurity and poverty.
Each case proves that when communities lead, they deliver more than infrastructure: they build adaptive systems, resilient social fabrics, and powerful voices for policy change.
