An example of Community-Centered Adaptation: the caso of Medellín in Colombia
A useful example of a successful community‑centered adaptation plan comes from the city of Medellín in Colombia, where hillside neighborhoods faced increasing landslide risks due to heavier rainfall and unplanned urban expansion. The adaptation plan was designed through participatory workshops in which residents identified priority risks, shared local knowledge, and helped shape solutions that reflected their values and daily realities. The project addressed key challenges by combining physical measures—such as slope stabilization, terracing, and improved drainage—with social components like community training and neighborhood emergency committees. Vulnerability assessments were carried out with residents to map the most at‑risk households and pathways. Conflicts over land use were resolved through dialogue facilitated by local leaders, ensuring that decisions were transparent and widely accepted. The plan met community expectations by improving safety, reducing landslide incidents, and creating public green spaces. Most importantly, it strengthened long‑term adaptive capacity by empowering residents to manage risks collectively and maintain the new infrastructure themselves.