Community-Based Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning: A Cook Islands Pilot Project

Abstract

In 2010, the Asian Development Bank, the Government of the Cook Islands, and the World Wide Fund for Nature partnered to undertake a pilot adaptation project that could be replicated across the country's inhabited islands. The basic idea was to field-test a participatory approach that incorporates local knowledge and engages vulnerable communities in the formulation of adaptation plans that will be operable and most relevant to their circumstances. This publication captures and shares the process, tools, and lessons from the project. It hopes to provide insights into how climate change adaptation may be strengthened and accelerated through community-based risk assessment and participatory planning.