From the Indian Blue Community PRISM and our network partner CARN-AP:
Climate Justice, Resilience and the Impoverishment Process: Safeguarding Communities | Webinar 5.
Climate action is not only about building stronger infrastructure—it is also about ensuring that development protects people, livelihoods, and communities. As investments in climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure continue to grow across the Asia-Pacific, an important question emerges: Can we build resilience without leaving vulnerable communities behind?
In this fifth webinar of our series on Advancing Climate Action, Community Resilience & Knowledge Collaboration in Asia Pacific, organized in collaboration with PRISM and CARN-AP, we explored the relationship between climate justice, resilience, and the impoverishment process, and why social safeguards are fundamental to equitable climate action.
The session examined how climate adaptation and infrastructure projects can unintentionally lead to displacement, loss of livelihoods, weakened social networks, and increased vulnerability when environmental and social safeguards are inadequate. It also highlighted why resilience must extend beyond physical infrastructure to protect the rights, assets, and well-being of communities.
In this webinar, we discussed:
- Understanding the impoverishment process and its implications for climate resilience
- How infrastructure and climate adaptation projects can unintentionally increase vulnerability
- Gender, Indigenous, and social dimensions of displacement and resource loss
- The role of environmental and social safeguards in promoting equitable development
- Community-centred approaches to climate resilience and governance
- Pathways for integrating climate justice into adaptation planning and sustainable development
Featuring insights from Dr. Shane Tarr, an international development expert with extensive experience across the Asia-Pacific, and Prof. P. N. Panda, academic and anthropologist, the discussion brought together global perspectives and practical experiences on ensuring that climate and development transitions are both inclusive and just. The session was moderated by Ms. Divya Gupta of SEEDS India.
As climate investments continue to expand, building resilience means more than reducing disaster risk—it means safeguarding livelihoods, respecting community rights, strengthening social equity, and ensuring that no one is left behind.
Watch the full session to explore how climate justice and social safeguards can help shape more inclusive, resilient, and sustainable futures across the Asia-Pacific region.
