Livelihoods and Climate Change

Livelihoods and Climate Change

Climate change impacts are already being observed, signalling an urgent need for response measures that minimize current vulnerabilities. For the poor and other vulnerable communities, these measures should be based on their livelihoods. By understanding the dynamics of poor people's livelihoods, one can begin to understand how they will be affected by climate change, how they might respond with the resources they have, and how these conditions can be reflected and built upon for successful adaptation strategies.

Given the reliance of the poor on environmental services for their livelihoods, a central element of their adaptation strategies should be ecosystem management and restoration (EM&R) activities. By protecting and enhancing the natural services that support livelihoods, vulnerable communities can maintain local safety nets and expand the range of options for coping with disruptive shocks and trends.

Since 2001, IISD has been working with IUCN – The World Conservation Union, Stockholm Environment Institute–Boston Center (SEI-B) and the Swiss Organisation for Development and Cooperation (Intercooperation) to promote this integrated livelihoods approach to adaptation, drawing from four communities that have been tackling the issue of vulnerability reduction: disaster risk reduction, environmental management, poverty reduction and climate change.

Phase 1 (2001–2003)
The first phase of the project focused establishing the conceptual foundations of the project, gathering supporting evidence for its integrated approach to adaptation, and communicating the findings to broader constituencies.
Phase 2 (2004–2006)
The second phase of activity focused on the development of practical tools to facilitate risk reduction and adaptation, with EM&R or sustainable livelihoods (SL) projects serving as entry-points at the local level.

Where to Read More

Livelihoods and Climate Change Project Snapshot (PDF - 438 kb)
This document summarises the rationale, overall goal, objectives and activities of the Livelihoods and Climate Change project.
Livelihoods and Climate Change: Combining disaster risk reduction, natural resource management and climate change adaptation in a new approach to the reduction of vulnerability and poverty (PDF - 1.6 mb)
This report presents the conceptual foundations for the Livelihoods and Climate Change project. Drawing from the fields of disaster risk reduction, natural resource management, poverty reduction and climate change action, the report provides a basis for developing an integrated approach to vulnerability reduction and adaptation.

Contact: Anne Hammill for more information.

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