Disentangling climate change adaptation: A multi-site comparison of constraints and opportunities among Indigenous Peoples and local communities

Globally, Indigenous Peoples and local communities with nature-based livelihoods, such as small-scale agriculture, pastoralism, fishing, and foraging, face increasing climate change impacts. While implementing adaptive measures is urgently needed in such contexts, various constraints hamper their adoption. To understand these constraints and identify potential adaptation opportunities, this study adopts a multi-site comparative approach. We assessed commonalities and context-specific peculiarities of adaptation determinants among ten Indigenous Peoples and local communities across the globe. Data were collected using a mixed-method approach that included semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and household (n = 1,045) and individual surveys (n = 1,349). The number of adaptive measures implemented by households is weakly correlated with the experienced severity of climate change impacts, suggesting that while cognitive factors could promote adaptation, other factors constrain it. Despite the complexity of adaptation and the relevance of context-specific adaptation determinants, we find common patterns across sites: Individuals who perceive severe climate change impacts and belong to households with low adaptation rates generally have fewer assets, lower social capital, and less access to sufficient and preferred food and freshwater sources compared to those who perceive less severe impacts and live in households with more adaptive measures implemented. Effective adaptation planning and implementation should consider both commonalities across sites and context-specific peculiarities of adaptation constraints. Enhancing information exchange between local communities and institutions is crucial for the development of adaptation solutions across multiple scales.