News 18 Mar, 2026

New CBA SCALE+ report highlights lessons for scaling up community-based adaptation

As climate impacts intensify across vulnerable regions, community-based adaptation is increasingly recognised as essential for building resilient livelihoods and ecosystems. A new report released by the CBA SCALE+ initiative highlights key lessons for strengthening participatory climate vulnerability assessments (PCVAs) - a critical tool for advancing community-based adaptation (CBA).

Photo: CARE Zambia / Margret Ngonga

Developed by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and CARE Germany, the report draws on experiences from PCVAs developed in nearly 100 communities in Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe between 2024 and 2025.

The findings provide practical guidance for practitioners, policymakers, and development partners working to scale up locally led climate adaptation approaches.

Understanding climate risks from the ground up

PCVAs are designed to connect community knowledge of climate impacts with scientific climate data and projections. By combining these perspectives, PCVAs help identify risks facing different social groups, livelihoods, and ecosystems - providing an evidence base for effective adaptation planning.

Through the CBA SCALE+ project, consortium partners, including CARE; the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN); IISD; and IUCN, worked with local authorities and communities to apply PCVA processes across these three countries.

The resulting report synthesises lessons from this work, offering insights into how participatory assessments can support more inclusive and effective climate adaptation strategies.

Six lessons for strengthening participatory assessments

Drawing on field experience, country reports, and consultations with partners, the report identifies six key lessons for improving PCVA processes.

Build on existing data: Respectful community engagement should draw on available climate and vulnerability data, though such information is not always accessible.
Integrate knowledge effectively: Combining community knowledge with scientific climate data requires strong climate literacy and careful facilitation.
Engage local authorities early: Involving local governments and key actors from the start helps institutionalize CBA.
Communicate sensitively during crises: PCVAs conducted during climate, political, or economic crises require careful communication and expectation management.
Manage expectations transparently: Clearly communicating what PCVAs can and cannot achieve is key to maintaining community engagement.
Collaborate across partners: Aligning the approaches and expertise of diverse partners strengthens ownership and improves PCVA outcomes.

Supporting locally led adaptation

Despite two decades of discussion around CBA, implementing these approaches at scale remains a challenge. The report underscores that PCVAs can play a key role in bridging the gap between local knowledge, scientific evidence, and policy action.

By providing detailed recommendations for practitioners and development actors, the publication aims to strengthen the design and implementation of CBA initiatives worldwide.

Read the full report here.

About CBA SCALE+

The CBA SCALE+ project works with communities, local authorities, and policymakers to scale up nature-based, gender-responsive, and equitable adaptation approaches across Southern Africa and beyond.

The initiative is supported by Germany’s Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMUKN) through the International Climate Initiative (IKI).