Recife Hosts Landmark Global Gathering on Climate Adaptation: Reflections from CBA19

From May 12–16, 2025, the city of Recife, Brazil played host to the 19th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA19). As the first-ever CBA held in Latin America—and the largest to date—this year’s event brought together 390 participants, representing 79 nationalities working across 63 countries. 

Interestingly, Recife sits in the Northeast Region of Brazil, which is also home to the Caatinga biome—one of the most densely populated and biodiverse forests in the world, and the only biome found exclusively in Brazil. This region is no stranger to climate extremes. It lies within Brazil’s semi-arid zone, an area that has expanded significantly since the 1960s and, for the first time, now includes territory classified as a desert climate. 

But the story of the Caatinga is one of resilience. Despite historical waves of migration from the 1930s to the 1970s, local communities have long demonstrated an extraordinary capacity to adapt—not by fighting against drought, but by learning to effectively coexist with it. Their deep-rooted knowledge has given rise to innovative strategies and technologies that reflect an enduring harmony with their environment. 

In this spirit, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED), the Pernambuco state government, and numerous partners, including Forest Trends as both a Contributing Partner and founding member of the BASE Initiative, came together to co-host CBA19. Marcio Halla, the Director of the Territorial Governance Facility for the Communities and

 Territorial Governance Initiative (CTGI), represented Forest Trends, continuing a role he played at CBA18 in Arusha, Tanzania. 

At CBA19, Marcio moderated the session “Incorporating Local and Traditional Knowledge into Nature-Based Solutions” and served as a Theme Advisor for the “Nature and Adaptation” track—one of the conference’s three core themes. He also contributed to the Programming Committee and co-authored the event’s final statement, which distilled eleven key messages for the future of community-based adaptation: 

1. Communities should define success and shape learning. 
2. Secure tenure rights. 
3. Nature-based solutions should be recognized as “local culture-based solutions.” 
4. “Business unusual” must become the new usual. 
5. Responsive funding requires an appetite for risk and trust. 
6. Redefine accountability to flow downward to communities. 
7. Climate risk is socially constructed. 
8. There’s no climate justice without gender justice. 
9. Prioritize equity and inclusion in urban planning and policy. 
10. Integrate diverse knowledge systems into climate action. 
11. Intermediary organizations are key to advancing adaptation. 

Echoing one of the conference’s most resonant messages—“Nature-based solutions should be recognized as ‘local culture-based solutions’”—Marcio emphasized the importance of local knowledge: 

“The challenge of adapting to climate change is huge. Local communities and indigenous peoples have the knowledge, through living in their own impacted territories, about the best ways to promote adaptation.” 

As the world continues to confront the escalating impacts of climate change, CBA19 stood as a powerful reminder: meaningful adaptation starts with the people on the frontlines. Their voices must lead the way. 

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