GCA announces 20 finalists for the 2025 Local Adaptation Champions Awards 

Shortlist spans four categories—Citizen Science, Health, Nature-based Solutions, and Women’s Livelihoods—showcasing community-led innovation from every region 

R otterdam, the Netherlands, 8 September 2025 — The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) today announced the 20 finalists for the 2025 Local Adaptation Champions Awards, now in their fourth edition. The awards honour pioneering, scalable, and locally led initiatives that are helping communities adapt to the escalating impacts of climate change across four categories: Citizen Science, Health, Nature-based Solutions, and Women’s Livelihoods. 
 
This year’s finalists come from every region of the world. Each has taken action to tackle the specific climate challenges facing their communities — from protecting public health to restoring ecosystems, creating sustainable jobs for women, and putting science into the hands of citizens. Together, they show that innovation and resilience often start at the local level. 
 
From protecting public health and restoring ecosystems to creating sustainable jobs for women and putting science in citizens’ hands, this year’s finalists demonstrate that innovation and resilience often begin at the local level. 
 
“We are honored to present the 20 finalists for the 2025 Local Adaptation Champions Awards. The quality of applications this year was extraordinary, with inspiring stories of determination and impact from around the globe. These finalists remind us that the most powerful climate solutions are already taking shape in communities, led by people who are living the realities of climate change every day,” said Anju Sharma, Global Lead on Locally Led Adaptation at GCA. 
 
Selection Process and finalists 
Finalists were identified through a rigorous review by international specialists in community-led adaptation, using a transparent, point-based assessment system. Each selected initiative shows tangible progress in strengthening climate resilience from the ground up. 
A Technical Advisory Group of leading adaptation experts will now conduct further review, after which a high-level jury will determine the four winners. Winners will be announced at COP30 in Belém, Brazil, in November 2025. Each winner will receive €15,000 and support from the Adaptation Fund, including opportunities to share their experience and scale their impact through global learning and exchange events. 
 
The 2025 Finalists Are: 
 
Citizen Science  

• EQUINOCT Community Sourced Modelling Solutions – Cocreating science-based, locally grounded solutions to climate change impacts in India’s coastal areas 
• Fairaction Charity Foundation – Data-driven, community-managed solar-powered drinking water in Nigeria 
• Preserving Legacies – Empowering heritage custodians worldwide to lead climate adaptation efforts grounded in their cultural and natural heritage 
• University of Reading, Madagascar – For its pioneer child-centered early warning system 
• Water, Environment, Land and Livelihood (WELL) Labs – Transforming water governance in India’s dryland farming regions  

Health 

• Association of people living with HIV/AIDS (APL+) – Ensuring continuity of HIV treatment and mental health support during climate shocks in Laos 
• Foundation for Tomorrow (F4T) – Strengthening Kenya’s vulnerable communities’ health and psychosocial resilience in the face of increasing climate-induced stressors \
• Humanitarian Action for Africa – Community-led early warning, local contingency planning, and pre-disaster health preparedness in the Democratic Republic of the Congo 
• Research Unit in Applied Microbiology and Pharmacology of Natural Substances (URMAPha), University of Abomey-Calavi – Community-led early warning and response system to monitor environmental and health signals, communicate risks and activate response  
• SALCARE – Delivering inclusive health financing tools through a mobile micro-health wallet in Sierra Leone 

Nature-Based Solutions  

• Nature environment & wildlife society – Long-term ecological recovery and strengthening of communities’ adaptive capacity throug hgender-inclusive natural resource management in India 
• Odisha Paryavaran Sanrakshan Abhiyan Trust – Community-managed interventions to restore natural buffers that protect against sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and saline intrusion in India 
• Save Mau Forest CBO – Kenyan forest restauration in areas severely affected by deforestation, soil erosion, and unsustainable agricultural practices 
• Uttaran –Large-scale, community-led and nature-based intervention to address chronic water logging and river siltation in Bangladesh 
• Water Fund for Lima and Callao – Aquafondo – Restore ancient Peruvian water infrastructure, conserving strategic high-altitude wetlands like degraded bofedales, and promoting sustainable agroecological practices 

Women’s Livelihoods

• AJSA India – Strengthening women’s economic empowerment and climate resilience through a transformative, locally led model of women-led agriculture production in India 
• S M Sehgal Foundation – Supporting women in India’s rural areas to start small, local businesses that work with nature instead of against it 
• Society for Promotion of Area Resource Centers (SPARC) – Strengthens women’s economic empowerment and climate resilience in India through their engagement in building resilient, affordable, low carbon homes 
• Solar Freeze Inc. – Enabling 3,000+ rural women in Kenya to become cold storage micro-entrepreneurs  
• UNDP Bangladesh – Enhancing the adaptive capacity of coastal communities, particularly women, to cope with climate-induced salinity and build long-term resilience in Bangladesh 

The 2025 Local Adaptation Champions Awards highlight the vital role of locally driven initiatives in tackling climate impacts. By shining a spotlight on these efforts, GCA aims to encourage broader action and the replication of innovative, community-based solutions. The awards ceremony will celebrate not only the winners, but also the growing global momentum for locally led adaptation—demonstrating the ingenuity and resilience of communities on the frontlines. 
The awards ceremony will serve as a celebration not only of the winners, but also of the growing global momentum for locally led adaptation—demonstrating the ingenuity and resilience of communities confronting climate challenges on the frontlines. 
 
Notes to Editors 
About the Global Center on Adaptation 
The Global Center on Adaptation (GCA) is an international organization that promotes adaptation to the impacts of climate change. It works to climate-proof development by instigating policy reforms and influencing investments made by international financial institutions and the private sector. The goal is to bring climate adaptation to the forefront of the global fight against climate change and ensure that it remains prominent. Founded in 2018, GCA is the first international organization to maintain dual headquarters in both the Global North in Rotterdam and in the Global South in Nairobi – underscoring the equal partnership between regions and the conviction that climate adaptation solutions must be co-designed and co-owned. Its regional hubs in Abidjan, Dhaka and Beijing, leverage local expertise to pilot and scale context-specific approaches. Together, these centers ensure a continuous, two-way exchange of knowledge and best practices that empower communities and drive resilient and inclusive growth worldwide. 

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