Effective climate resilience building starts with relationships and a shared understanding of place. For INACCT, this understanding was co-produced with communities through an ongoing iterative and inclusive process of engagement, research and learning. Reviewing existing information can help prepare for initial engagement, while residents’ knowledge, experiences and priorities shape the questions asked, how risks are understood and which responses are appropriate.
This involves jointly exploring climate hazards—such as flooding —who and what is exposed, and how physical conditions, livelihoods, gender dynamics and access to services shape vulnerability and the ability to respond. It also means recognising existing community capacities, local practices, social networks and institutional relationships. Bringing community, scientific and practitioner knowledge together helps identify gaps, examine differences within the settlement and agree priorities for action, with this understanding revisited as learning develops and conditions change.