Climate Adaptation & Resilience | Rare

Communities on the front lines of climate change face rising sea levels, shifting migration patterns, extreme weather, biodiversity loss, and other challenges that threaten lives and livelihoods. Rare envisions a world where people and communities living in climate vulnerable places can withstand climate impacts, and thrive in the places they call home.

Rare works with frontline communities to secure the rights and resources needed to effectively steward the natural resources that sustain them and build the resilience of both people and nature. Rare’s approach is rooted in: 

• Local leadership 
• Ecosystem-based adaptation  
• Behavioral science 
• Sustainable & equitable finance 
• Global engagement 

Local Leadership

Some of the most climate-vulnerable communities are rural and remote, leaving top-down strategies from national governments ineffective. Rare supports local leaders with the resources to define, prioritize, design, implement, and scale locally led adaptation solutions in their municipalities.

Ecosystem-based Adaptation

Sustainable practices ensure ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, forests, water, and agricultural systems can adapt to the impacts of climate change. Rare works with fishers, farmers, and other resource users to adopt sustainable practices that help build resilience in a changing climate, ensuring that community needs are prioritized.  

Behavioral Science

People and communities are more likely to adopt climate adaptation measures if they consider the factors that drive how, when, and why people make decisions. Rare’s approach, rooted in the science of human behavior, meaningfully engages people to ensure longer-lasting impact.

Sustainable & Equitable Finance

Rare connects communities on the frontlines of climate change to financial services like savings, credit, and insurance, helping them build resilience to financial shocks fueled by climate change. By working with financial institutions and insurance providers, Rare is increasing direct support to local governments and people, and getting climate finance to frontline communities—including through nature-based financing projects like blue carbon. 

Global Engagement

Governments and global partners are key partners for delivering nature-based and locally led solutions for climate adaptation. We provide them with scientific and practical guidance for building community resilience around the world.