Communities, climate change adaptation and win–win solutions

Engaging with communities at the grassroots level and empowering local institutions are critical for building resilient communities in South Asia in the context of numerous vulnerabilities created by climate change. This chapter summarises the key lessons that document how communities are adapting by reinventing traditional practices, adopting new technologies, or building human and social capital. These lessons are important because they provide pathways for others to learn from and for policies and practices to evolve to build resilience among vulnerable populations. Local adaptation by communities also helps meet the larger sustainable development challenges of the region.