Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA)
CBA Conference
Community Based Adaptation (CBA)

Connecting Knowledge to Action: ARA to Lead the Knowledge Nexus at CBA20

The 20th International Conference on Community-Based Adaptation to Climate Change (CBA20) will take place from 11 to 14 May 2026 in Manila, Philippines.
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  • March 10, 2026
  • 3 min read
  • Event: 11/05/2026 - 08:00 (UTC +08:00) - 14/03/2026 - 18:00 (UTC +08:00)
ARA members and partners during a session at the 29th CBA in Recife, Brazil

Since 2005, partners have convened the Community-based Adaptation (CBA) conference series. These conferences serve as a global forum for communities, practitioners, governments, and donors to share best practices and innovations in community and locally led climate adaptation.

The 20th edition – CBA20 – will be held in Manila, organised by IIED in partnership with the Manila Observatory, Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives, Inc (PACSII), the Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) and other partners. The core themes of CBA20 are:

  • Achieving just and equitable adaptation in urban areas
  • Scaling local-level health investments as a critical adaptation response
  • Knowledge nexus – combining local, traditional and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems with climate science.

The ARA, together with Tebtebba Foundation, will lead the theme ‘Knowledge-Nexus’. The theme will explore how integrating local, traditional, and Indigenous Peoples’ knowledge systems with climate science can drive inclusive and responsive decision-making for adaptation. Over five days, more than 300 participants from local community organisations, Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, NGOs, research institutes, governments, foundations and multilateral agencies will come together to share, learn and deepen their understanding of best practices in locally led adaptation. CBA20 is a key moment for the community-based adaptation (CBA) and locally led adaptation (LLA)  communities on the road to COP31 in Turkey.

Participants exchange perspectives during a group discussion at an Adaptation Research Alliance (ARA) session at the 19th Community-Based Adaptation Conference in Recife, Brazil.

Knowledge Nexus Theme Sessions

The Knowledge Nexus theme explores how diverse knowledge systems—scientific, Indigenous, local, and traditional—can be strengthened, respected, and mobilised to enhance adaptive capacities, build resilience, and reduce vulnerability, in line with the principles of LLA and epistemic, environmental, and climate justice.

Our vision is to move the Knowledge Nexus from discourse to practice by linking global climate assessment with place-based knowledge, ethical engagement, and concrete pathways for action, so that diverse knowledge systems meaningfully shape adaptation decisions and actions across all levels and involve vulnerable groups and communities in the process.

Date + TimeSession Number + Name LocationSession Description
May 11th
10:30 – 11:30		Session K1: 
From Assessment to Action: Diverse Knowledge Systems for Locally Led Adaptation		Ballroom 2How diverse knowledge systems can better inform global climate assessments and support effective, locally led adaptation.
May 11th
11:30 – 12:30 		Session K2: 
From Classrooms to Communities: Youth, Schools, and Knowledge Systems in Locally Led Adaptation		Ballroom 2How education systems, communities, and intermediary organisations co-produce, translate, and sustain climate knowledge for locally led adaptation.
May 11th
13:30 – 15:00 		Session K3: 
Funding Locally Led Adaptation: Power, Knowledge, and Practice from the Ground		Ballroom 2What needs to change in funding systems to enable locally led adaptation? A participatory learning journey
May 11th
15:30 – 17:00 		Session K4: 
Knowledge, power and practice in locally led adaptation: Strengthening the implementation of nature-based approaches		Ballroom 2How locally led climate action can strengthen resilience across rural and coastal communities through nature-based solutions and inclusive knowledge systems.
May 12th
9:00 – 10:30 		Session K5: 
Indigenous Knowledge as Applied Climate Science: Power, Ethics, and Locally Led Adaptation		Ballroom 2How knowledge and leadership from Indigenous Peoples, women, persons with disabilities, and local communities are crucial forms of applied climate science and how power and ethics shape the challenges they face.
May 12th
11:00 – 12:30 		Session K6: 
Dialogue without Domination — Ethics, Consent, Control, and Knowledge for Locally Led Adaptation		Ballroom 2How scientific and non-scientific knowledge systems can be brought into dialogue without forcing integration or hierarchy.
May 12th
13:30 – 15:00 		Session K7: 
Who Decides What Counts and Matters in Locally Led Adaptation? Indicators, Emerging Technologies, and Local Knowledge		Ballroom 2How the knowledge nexus, spanning local, indigenous, scientific, and experiential knowledge, shapes locally led adaptation across diverse contexts.
May 12th
15:30 – 17:00		Session K8: 
What Needs to Change: Key Messages from the Knowledge Nexus Theme		Ballroom 2A facilitated synthesis session drawing together insights from two days of Knowledge Nexus dialogues to identify priority messages and practical next steps.



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