Poor Communities are not Climate Change “Victims” but Climate Adaptation Agents

Residents of poor or developing countries are usually referred to as the ‘vulnerable’ or ‘victims’ of climate change because they are disproportionately affected by it because of their inadequate resources and low adaptive capacity. When extreme natural events or calamities hit them, they can be further pushed back into poverty.  

The article from Eco-Business offers a different view of these vulnerable communities. Rather than victims, poor communities have “the most potential to be climate adaptation leaders and have a central role to play in accelerating climate change solutions.”

They are the most dynamic and innovative in adapting to climate change. Sheela Patel, chair of Shack/Slum Dweller International (SDI), says that the poor know what they need and should have a voice in any development plans or investments in their area. Still, the reality is that they do not; they are treated as beneficiaries instead.

The article says that despite meagre funds, a lack of technical skills, and political and economic discrimination, poor communities continue to adapt to any climatic variations and extremes, tapping into their wealth of local knowledge, existing solutions, and grassroots-level solutions, leveraging and building on their past successes.

One way to empower the poor in their efforts to cope with and adapt to climate change is to support and fund locally led adaptation.

The article gives several examples of locally led adaptation—actions that people are already taking to cope with the effects of climate change. Examples come from Bangladesh through their floating gardens, early warning systems in Kirinyaga County, Kenya, and the Philippines’ Informal settler’s plan for their climate-resilient housing.

Perhaps people from developing countries are more resilient and resourceful than is credited to them. The skills and knowledge that have allowed them to adapt to extreme climate conditions and variations are “assets” that could be tapped into and supported in the face of more harsh climate conditions to come.

The article enumerates examples of climate adaptation in poor and developing communities and suggests ways to empower locally led climate adaptation.