YARN, in partnership with NetHope and Ushahidi, is implementing a pilot project titled “Amplifying Community Voices on Climate Change.” The project seeks to ensure that the lived experiences of frontline communities are centered in climate adaptation and resilience planning.

Across Nigeria, the cascading impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. These impacts are further intensified by existing vulnerabilities, particularly among rural and marginalized communities who are already struggling to survive and have limited capacity to respond to and adapt to climate shocks. Despite this reality, these same communities are often excluded from decision-making processes when climate policies and interventions are designed.

Evidence from numerous studies shows that those most at risk from climate change are people whose livelihoods depend heavily on natural resources and rain-fed agriculture. This reflects the lived realities of many Nigerian communities. Smallholder farmers face declining incomes due to late onset and early cessation of rainfall; women and girls walk long distances to access increasingly scarce water; coastal communities experience loss of lives and livelihoods due to rising sea levels; persons living with disabilities and the elderly face heightened barriers to adaptation; and communities in Northern Nigeria are forcibly displaced due to drought and desertification. Without improved, inclusive, and needs-based policies, these challenges are likely to worsen.

This pilot project aligns with the Climate Equity pillar of the Climate Intersections Initiative. The pillar focuses on elevating community perspectives and lived experiences in climate adaptation and resilience planning at local, national, and global levels. Through this initiative, a comprehensive dataset will be developed that captures firsthand community experiences of climate change, including vulnerabilities, existing capacities, and adaptation strategies. The dataset will serve as an evidence base highlighting the impacts of climate change and the effectiveness of mitigation and adaptation policies implemented by governments, civil society organizations, and UN agencies.

In Nigeria, the project aims to gather insights into climate experiences and needs across one or two regions in Ogun State. The primary goal is to collect the lived experiences of over 3,000 individuals. These insights will be shared back with participating communities and their leaders, alongside capacity-building efforts to support the development of locally driven climate action plans.

Project Objectives

The project is guided by the following objectives:

1. Amplify Community Voices:
   To collect and elevate community members’ lived experiences of climate change, and support communities in using this data for local-level climate action and advocacy.
2. Build Local Capacity:
   To engage communities and their leadership in understanding their climate vulnerabilities and strengths, and to co-create inclusive, participatory, community-based adaptation plans.
3. Enable Learning and Scale:
   To leverage insights from the pilot phase to refine approaches and enable replication of the initiative in other geographic locations, supporting scalability and long-term impact.

Through this project, YARN and its partners aim to ensure that climate solutions are informed by those most affected – placing community voices at the center of climate action.