Over 437 Million People Now More Climate-Resilient, Report Says. Read it here.
Parts of this site were translated using AI. Accuracy may vary.
Over 437 Million People Now More Climate-Resilient, Report Says. Read it here.
Parts of this site were translated using AI. Accuracy may vary.
Monday, 10 November 2025 | By Climate High-Level Champions
New ‘Race to Resilience’ progress report marks the first complete reporting cycle, showing climate adaptation moving from pledges to measurable impact globally.
For years, climate resilience was a buzzword - a promise tucked into policy papers and conference speeches that communities could withstand climate shocks like heatwaves and floods. Now, the world is finally seeing what resilience looks like on the ground.
According to a new report from the Race to Resilience campaign, 437 million people are now living with greater resilience across 134 countries, supported by $4.18 billion USD in adaptation finance. More than 18 million hectares of land and ecosystems have been protected, restored, or placed under improved management across 78 countries.
The report, released by the Climate High-Level Champions this week, marks the first time the campaign has completed a full reporting cycle, capturing measurable results from projects worldwide that are helping communities adapt to a changing climate.
Working with 46 partner organisations globally, the Race to Resilience campaign helps to accelerate the investment and implementation of adaptation solutions.
The report shows how in Kenya, smallholder farmers are securing loans to survive unpredictable seasons. In the Philippines, homes are being reinforced against typhoons. Along coastlines in the Caribbean, enterprises are restoring reefs that buffer waves and protect livelihoods.
These efforts were once scattered and anecdotal. They are now part of a growing body of evidence that adaptation actions are an essential line of defence against overcoming the impacts of climate change.
“Once treated as a technical concept, resilience is now understood as essential for survival, stability, and shared prosperity”, said Dan Ioschpe, Climate High-Level Champion for COP30, Brazil.
The report arrives at a critical moment. Five years into what the UN calls the “decade of delivery,” the climate crisis is intensifying. Heat stress, droughts, and floods are already eroding hundreds of billions of dollars in productivity each year, while ecosystem losses are stripping away the natural protections that sustain economies and cultures. Climate resilience refers to the ability of people, communities, and ecosystems to anticipate, prepare for, and recover from these impacts.
As a result, resilience has shifted from the sidelines of global climate action to its centre. The Paris Agreement codified that principle in its Global Goal on Adaptation, and the Race to Resilience – launched under the Global Climate Action Agenda in 2021 — has helped make that vision tangible.
The campaign’s ultimate goal is to strengthen the resilience of 4 billion people by 2030. Reaching that target will require expanding partnerships with civil society groups, Indigenous Peoples, youth, subnational governments, and private companies. Many of these actors are already on the front lines of climate change.
The findings also align closely with the COP30 Action Agenda and Global Goal on Adaptation, two key pillars for this year’s UN Climate Conference in Belém, Brazil, where resilience is expected to feature prominently.
As part of this alignment, Race to Resilience has embedded the Plan to Accelerate Solutions (PAS) framework. Proposed by the COP30 Presidency and Brazilian ministries, these plans bring together existing programmes with concrete steps leading up to the next Global Stocktake in 2028. In this, the Race to Resilience campaign will mobilize actors from academic, public and private finance and mainstream people-centered resilience strategies. It will aim to strengthen metrics and accountability, expand capacity for locally led action, and improve access to finance for vulnerable communities.
“As the world looks to Belém and beyond, the Race to Resilience demonstrates what is possible when ambition is matched by action,” said Nigar Arpadarai, Climate High-Level Champion for COP29. “The challenge now is to scale this momentum with speed, securing a future where people and societies can prosper sustainably.”
