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Updated on June 21, 2025

Module 1: Understanding Climate Risk and Resilience for NGOs

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Introduction

This module introduces the fundamental concepts of climate risk and resilience, explaining why they are paramount for NGOs operating in contexts increasingly affected by climate change. Understanding these concepts provides the necessary foundation for integrating climate considerations effectively into all aspects of an NGO’s work.

Key Sections

Defining Climate Risk and Resilience

Climate risks encompass the potential negative impacts of climate change, including both rapid-onset events like hurricanes and heatwaves, and slow-onset events such as sea level rise and drought. Climate resilience is the ability of individuals, communities, businesses, and environmental systems to thrive in the face of these multiple risks, uncertainty, and threats. Building resilience involves enhancing preventative, anticipatory, adaptive, absorptive, and transformative capacities to manage these risks across systems.

Why Climate Understanding Matters for NGOs

Climate change and environmental degradation are primary root causes of humanitarian crises and threaten development gains. NGOs work closely with vulnerable populations, particularly in least developed countries and small island developing states, who are most exposed and susceptible to climate risks. Recognising and assessing these risks is essential for designing interventions that protect people, livelihoods, businesses, and environmental systems.

Mini Case Study

A small NGO working on food security in a coastal region has noticed increasingly unpredictable rainfall and more intense storms affecting crop yields. Traditionally, they focused on providing drought-resistant seeds. After exploring climate resilience, they realised they also need to incorporate flood management training, support crop diversification suitable for changing conditions, and help communities develop early warning systems for extreme weather. This broader understanding helps protect their beneficiaries’ food sources more effectively.

Reflection Prompts

  • What specific climate risks (both rapid and slow-onset) are most relevant to the communities your organisation serves?
  • How might these climate risks impact your current projects and long-term organisational goals?

Visual Aid

Diagram illustrating the cycle of climate risk (hazard, exposure, vulnerability), impact, and resilience-building capacities.

⚠️ Common Pitfall

Viewing climate resilience solely as an ‘environmental’ issue, separate from core humanitarian or development work, rather than a cross-cutting factor impacting all aspects of poverty and vulnerability.

Key Takeaways

  • Climate change increases risks through rapid and slow-onset events.
  • Resilience is the ability to cope with and thrive despite climate threats.
  • Vulnerable populations are disproportionately affected by climate risks.
  • Understanding climate risks is fundamental for effective NGO work.
  • Resilience involves multiple capacities: preventive, anticipative, adaptive, absorptive, transformative.
  • Climate issues are integrated into humanitarian and development contexts.

References

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