Framework for community-based climate vulnerability and capacity assessment in mountain areas

This publication provides an analytical framework and methodology for assessing environmental and socio-economic changes affecting the livelihoods of rural, natural resource dependent communities living in mountainous environments. It also gives guidance on how to gain a better understanding of the various forces which shape mountain communities' vulnerabilities, and places a special focus on the capacities inherent to these communities for coping with and adapting to environmental and socio-economic changes.

The rationale of the framework is based on the assumption that in order to identify the key determinants for future adaptation, we need to have a much better understanding of current climate change impacts, of mountain communities' perception of these changes, and of their traditional repertoire of response strategies. The framework is intended primarily for development practitioners and institutions working on climate change vulnerability and adaptation in mountainous environments.