Vulnerability and adaptation to climate change: A review of local actions and national policy response

This article explores community-based adaptation strategies drawing lessons from the field in four different countries of Asia and Africa. The analysis explores several key factors in successful adaptation at the community level, including the importance of culture, the role of institutions and the significance of mainstreaming and good governance. The influence that policy has on adaptation and the way in which policy can be used to support autonomous adaptations is emphasized to show linkages between local action and national policy. The article also recommends several policy implications for future adaptation efforts, concluding that while policy from the top must support adaptation at the bottom, community adaptation should circle upwards to influence policy strongly.