When Adaptation Meets Resistance: How to Shape Climate Policy from Below

Speaker: Ana Maria Vargas

Climate adaptation is often framed as urgent and inevitable — yet in many communities, especially those living in poverty, it is met with quiet defiance, legal challenges, or outright sabotage. This seminar explores how resistance emerges in response to top-down adaptation measures, from rejecting drought-resistant crops to contesting relocation plans in informal settlements. We will examine the role of law, everyday acts of resistance, and grassroots organising in reshaping climate policy from the ground up.