The world's leading countries are gathering at the annual United Nations (UN) Climate Summit (COP27) in Egypt, where climate-induced 'loss and damage are likely to be at the center of the discussion.  Often developing countries with weak adaptability are found to be the most affected end by 'loss and damage'.  In 2022, floods in rural areas of Indian states such as Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal affected more than 180 lakh people, causing severe damage to their homes, crops, and land.  

Cities like New Delhi and Bangalore were also inundated after incessant rains in recent months.  According to a Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW) study, 8 out of 10 people in India live in districts at risk of extreme climate events such as cyclones, floods, and droughts.  Even more worrying is that about 25 percent of these people do not have the ability to adapt to these increasing influences.  

With access to finance and technology for adaptation and climate-proofing of infrastructure, the role of different communities at the grassroots level is also very important.  CEEW has named India's highest climate Spoke to people in some at-risk states to find out how they are coping with this impending climate crisis.  

Stories from Kerala, Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Uttarakhand under the 'Faces of Climate Resilience' project highlight how different communities are becoming agents of change with their traditional knowledge and nature-based solutions.  Like Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started Mission Life (Lifestyle for Environment), which makes people sustainably.  

While empowering lifestyle choices, there remains strong potential for expanding community efforts in the area of ​​adaptation.  How different communities can be helped to advance climate action – First, extreme climate,  Connecting people to risk assessment processes in areas with a high risk of incidents.

The finer details of this can prepare communities and decision-making authorities to reduce disaster risk.  

For example, a group from Ambojwadi, a seaside town in northwest Mumbai, mapped flood-prone areas with the help of local NGOs and developed a response strategy to deal with extreme climate-related events.  They are sensitizing their community about the climate crisis, the first step towards adaptation to climate-induced events. 

 Second, actively engage communities with climate-proof infrastructure to reduce 'loss and damage' due to climate-induced disasters.  An example is Jayachandran, 49, from the Idukki district in Kerala, whose home Was devastated in the floods of 2018.  Before building a new house, he got the disaster risk done and ensured that the new house is capable of withstanding climate disasters and can also withstand future severe floods.