The SIDRRA Project - Strengthening Inclusive Disaster Risk Governance for Climate Resilience in Asia
The SIDRRA project, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, responds to the growing urgency of climate-related risks across the Asia-Pacific region. Despite shared climate vulnerabilities and hazard profiles, many countries in the region still face unequal resilience outcomes due to the limited inclusion of vulnerable communities in disaster risk governance. SIDRRA aims to address these gaps by enhancing community adaptability, promoting inclusive governance, and amplifying local voices in national and regional decision-making processes. By fostering equitable participation, the project contributes to stronger, more effective climate adaptation policies that reflect grassroots realities.
The SIDRRA project advances scalable, locally informed solutions that strengthen disaster preparedness and risk reduction across Asia through cross-learning, evidence generation, and targeted advocacy. The project is driven by a consortium of ADRRN, the International Rescue Committee, and Duryog Nivaran with support from the Philippine Business for Social Progress, Mercy Malaysia, CWS Japan, and Janatakshan. Each partner brings deep regional knowledge and a commitment to inclusive disaster resilience. Together, they adopt a multi-level approach focused on building the capacity of civil society networks, promoting community-led adaptation initiatives, and challenging structural power imbalances that exclude women, marginalised minorities, and at-risk populations.
SIDRRA-supported Locally Led Adaptations (LLA) Grant
The Locally Led Adaptations (LLA) Grant is a flagship initiative under the SIDRRA project. The grant is designed to shift climate financing closer to the ground, supporting community-led organisations and local actors to develop innovative, inclusive, and sustainable adaptation solutions. It responds to the urgent need for climate action that is not only effective but also equitable, grounded in local knowledge, and inclusive of marginalised voices.
LLA grants have been awarded to early-stage pilot projects that demonstrate meaningful consultation with affected communities, ensure the inclusion of women, persons with disabilities, older people, and other vulnerable groups, and test new approaches for locally relevant climate action. The selected projects aim to build on existing knowledge and practices, fostering learning and collaboration across communities.
Four organisations have been selected in the first cycle of the LLA Grant (Grant Cycle 2025-26), each offering a unique, community-driven solution to climate risks in their context. Each of these grantees reflects the power and potential of locally led innovation in climate resilience. Together, they are helping shape a more inclusive, informed, and sustainable response to the climate crisis in the Asia-Pacific region.
National Disaster Management Network Nepal (DiMaNN), Nepal
Project Title: Maithili Waters: Community-Led Water Resource Management and Resilience
In the Dhanusha District of Madhesh Province, DiMaNN is reviving traditional Maithili pond systems to strengthen climate resilience in Ward No. 17 of Janakpurdham Sub-Metropolitan City. The project addresses monsoon flooding and winter droughts by combining local water traditions with modern storage solutions, such as water tanks that serve over 300 residents. Through community training and engagement with local governance, the initiative boosts irrigation and food security while prioritising the inclusion of women, people with disabilities, and marginalised communities. With strong alignment to Nepal’s National Climate Change Policy, this cost-effective and replicable model delivers sustainable, GEDSI-inclusive impact at just $67 per beneficiary.
Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS), India
Project Title: Bio-shields for Coastal Resilience and Sustainability in Tamil Nadu
SEEDS is leading a nature-based adaptation effort across nine coastal villages in Tamil Nadu. By restoring native vegetation and integrating traditional knowledge with scientific expertise, the project creates bio-shields to reduce wind and salt spray damage, prevent seawater intrusion, and secure coastal livelihoods. With over 1,000 people engaged, including artisanal fisherfolk, women, and smallholder farmers, the initiative uses participatory land selection, capacity-building, and plantation drives to embed resilience at the community level. It also offers a scalable model for cost-effective, community-led climate adaptation along the Bay of Bengal coastline.
words. rhythms. images, India
Project Title: Community Action Through Storytelling [Extreme Heat]
In the heat-stressed urban neighbourhoods of Dehradun in the Himalayan state of Uttarakhand, WRI’s initiative empowers low-income communities, particularly women, adolescents, and older people, to document the impacts of extreme heat and communicate their solutions to decision-makers for potential scale-up. Through participatory storytelling, video documentation, and collaborative problem-solving workshops, the project links lived experience with technical knowledge. The aim is to foster informed, locally grounded action while opening sustained pathways for dialogue between vulnerable groups and municipal authorities, bridging community voice with policy in the urban adaptation landscape.
YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU), Indonesia
Project Title: Building Community Resilience to Disasters and Climate Crises in Areas Prone to Ground Movement and Drought
In Banjarasri Village, Yogyakarta Province, YEU is working with local communities vulnerable to ground movement and drought to co-develop locally led innovations in disaster preparedness and climate adaptation. The project supports self-identified solutions through knowledge exchange, community mobilisation, and inclusive planning. By embedding resilience in everyday practices, this initiative enhances local capacity to respond to evolving risks while ensuring that interventions are community-owned and context-specific.