When climate impacts are experienced as random and unpredictable, they are paralyzing. However, with the right information and time to plan, communities can have agency and choice.

Across the region, climate adaptation will be an ongoing process. No single action can mitigate risks and ensure the safety of communities indefinitely. Risk levels and perceptions are bound to evolve. So will people’s calculations around whether to stay or move. It is therefore important that adaptation actions are guided by an ongoing dialogue between governments and communities.

Governments must provide clear guidelines and set expectation horizons based on continuous risk monitoring to inform and guide community decisions. By seeking out information, participating in risk monitoring, and organising collectively, communities can play an active role in designing their adaptation journeys.

While actions for climate adaptation must be grounded in local knowledge, priorities and capacities, they should be enabled by cross-border collaboration and international support.

The countries most vulnerable to adverse climate impacts have barely contributed to global carbon emissions. International solidarity and action are therefore imperative to support their adaptation efforts –  from the co-creation of climate risk data for inclusive adaptation planning to improved access to financial support.