Making Adaptation Real: Women and Indigenous Leadership in Turning Climate Commitments into Action

Women, Indigenous Peoples, and other vulnerable groups are on the frontline of climate impacts. Yet their knowledge, leadership, and priorities remain too often overlooked in the planning and financing of adaptation measures. At the same time, the gap between international climate commitments and real-world action continues to widen. To close this gap, adaptation must not only be implemented on the ground but also communicated in ways that make solutions tangible, realistic, and relatable.

Across the globe, women, Indigenous Peoples, and marginalized communities are already driving practical adaptation in their daily lives. Their experiences and stories provide vital lessons on what climate goals mean in practice — and how they can be achieved.

In the context of the project “Countdown 2030 – Global Goals Need Civil Society”, a collaboration between four civil society networks in Brazil, Ethiopia, India, and Germany, this event will highlight concrete examples of inclusive and gender-responsive adaptation. Practitioners and representatives from civil society, indigenous groups and women-led organizations will share their perspectives, exploring what is needed to turn commitments into meaningful action, and discuss the role of German partnerships and governance in supporting these adaptation efforts and practices.