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Climate hot spots: Generating knowledge for an uncertain future

 

Climate change is felt globally, but particularly in developing countries. Its effects include more frequent and severe flooding, extreme weather, desertification, and rising sea levels. These impacts are ultimately affecting water availability, food security, and livelihoods for millions of people living in vulnerable “climate hotspots” around the world.

The Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) aims to build the resilience of vulnerable populations and their livelihoods to climate change by supporting a network of consortia to conduct high-calibre research and policy engagement in hot spots in Africa and Asia. Jointly funded by IDRC and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID), the consortia conducts research in areas including the Himalayan glacier-fed watersheds, major river deltas, and semi-arid regions. Their work explores climate change risks, develops tools to reduce climate vulnerabilities, improves coping capacities locally and nationally, and informs climate change planning and practice.  

IDRC’s work in this area aims to:

  • Build knowledge on climate risks, vulnerability, and adaptation solutions in four climate change hot spots by bringing leading research institutions together from around the world;
  • Inform the development of effective adaptation policy and practices in each of the three hot spots under study; and
  • Test the consortia model of conducting collaborative and interdisciplinary research for large-scale impact with the support of custom knowledge management tools and cross-consortia processes for sharing learning.

Read more about CARIAA and the research we support.

IDRC supports research in the world’s climate change hot spots

Lessons on consortium-based research in climate change and development

The paper draws on a literature review and a series of case studies to address the research gap related to conducting consortium-based research.

Series profiles the experiences of young researchers working with the CARIAA program

This series profiles the experiences of some of the young researchers working with CARIAA and their efforts to promote learning and knowledge-sharing across regions, contexts, and disciplines.

Pathways to Resilience in Semi-Arid Economies

The project addresses the conditions for economic growth and considers the needs of women and marginalized groups.