Local Solutions, Global Implications: Climate Change Adaptation in the 21st Century - Lessons from BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative

By Bobby Irven | Manager of Communications, BRAC UPGI

What have we learned from COP26?

Time for climate action is running out. This was one of the main takeaways from the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (commonly referred to as COP26) recently held in Glasgow. The forces of nature wait for no one; across our planet, from quickly expanding bone-dry deserts to urban megacities being slowly reclaimed by rivers and oceans, climate change is making its indisputable mark on humanity. Innovation and swift action must be taken to build a future where millions of people are not left behind, struggling daily to survive. But after a week of long discussions, the question of who will lead us into this future remains unanswered. 

If climate adaptation is to be a success in the long term, strong and decisive action is needed, and where this leadership comes from matters more than one might think. As we saw from the greatly energized and enraged youth voice at COP26, it is those with firsthand experience in the direct crosshairs of a threat that arguably have the most to offer. They often also have the most to lose. 

The role of BRAC in climate adaptation

As a Global South-led organization, BRAC, headquartered in Bangladesh, is no stranger to rising tides and evermore frequent super-cyclones. It has become a global leader on the matter and is elevating unique and impactful solutions in the hopes that the Global North-dominated development community can make equal space for the many innovations and insights that will pave the way for a brighter future for millions.

In an interview with Devex from the sidelines of COP26, Asif Saleh, Executive Director of BRAC, drew focus to the inequality of climate change impacts around the world. “We need to step back and really look into the long-term solutions to climate change,” he said. “We are all in this together, but our boats are very different, and ours are actually sinking rapidly. That attention and urgency needs to be there; how do we support adaptation very quickly.” Millions are already being affected in countries like Bangladesh and those in the small island nations of the South Pacific, but the true force of these changes has not yet been seen in many of the countries whose voices lead spaces like COP. And this is an injustice that we as an international development organization simply cannot stand by and watch happen.

After leaving the low-lying, tidal flats of southern Bangladesh, Nurjahan has now rebuilt her home in an urban slum outside of Dhaka, hoping to escape frequent flooding caused by climate change (BRAC 2019)

BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative

While a justice lens is often used to prescribe solutions for those that are currently or will be most impacted by climate change, this framework can similarly be used to respond to another type of injustice within the development sector. Large international bodies and forums continue to promote inclusivity but in reality are not adequately making space for voices from the Global South to elevate their solutions and innovations for major global issues. To address this issue, programs like BRAC’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI), an MLC recognised innovation, are committed to expanding approaches using locally-led adaptation that delivers long-lasting, scalable solutions to ending extreme poverty.  

With a mantra of one size fits no one, the Graduation approach’s four foundation pillars serve as a starting point for program design. This allows for the integration of locally-led adaptation and solutions and might take the form of existing government social protection schemes, or grassroots savings groups.

 While this innovation was born out of crisis and necessity half a century ago, it continues today, stronger than ever. 

Increased drought is making agriculture and livestock rearing harder in places like Samburu, located in one of Kenya’s ASAL regions (BRAC/BOMA 2018)

The Path Ahead: Inclusion, Contextualization, and Learning

Inclusion, contextualization, and learning are the three tenants that must guide successful poverty alleviation programming in the 21st Century. Without them, development programs will fail to reach the most vulnerable, and waste precious resources designing and implementing programs that do not have lasting, widespread impact in a rapidly changing world.

Our Graduation programs and pilots have always considered our inclusive targeting methodology as a key piece to ensure the most marginalized households are included as participants, but this multi-step process becomes even more inclusive when accounting for climate vulnerability and potential shocks. By combining local and national data, community participation, and survey analysis, program designers can embed themselves locally and adapt a program to the specific and most relevant needs of participants.

For some, agriculture practices may need to shift in response to increased soil erosion and flooding. And for others, more frequent drought and unpredictable weather patterns require new, innovative approaches to increasingly difficult biospheres. For this reason, contextualising interventions is key. In BRAC UPGI’s recent partnership with the Tunisian Government and IFAD, a graduation program embedded within Economic, social and solidarity insertion for resilience in the Governorate of Kairouan (IESS – Kairouan) has taken into account the region’s increased climate vulnerability and placed a focus on increased savings, diversification of incomes, and training around climate resilience and agricultural best practices.

Lastly, learning and iteration continue to play a key role in building programs with widespread and lasting impact. Regular evaluation both during and after a program or pilot ends will allow implementers to improve on initial designs or quickly pivot when something is not working. This responsive characteristic falls in line with the unpredictable and disruptive nature of climate change, which will only continue to compound disasters and shocks, which as we know disproportionately affect people living in extreme poverty.

If there is one thing that this year’s COP26 has taught us, it is that the clock is ticking and we are quickly running out of time. COVID has shown us the life-saving potential of social protection and safety nets or rather what happens when widespread systems do not exist. The past two years serve only as a mere dress rehearsal for the real upheaval that awaits if immediate action to uplift the world’s poorest people is not taken. We know that many solutions to our current problems already exist, it is just a matter of giving them the space they need to grow and flourish. It is for this reason that we call on governments, multilateral organizations, and other non profits alike to support programs and policies that protect people living in extreme poverty by enabling them to build resilience and adaptability within a climate and justice lens.