The Climate Adaptation and Resilience Exchange – CLARExchange Workshop 2025 was held from 6-9 May 2025, in Lusaka, Zambia, and brought together more than 180 representatives from 35 CLARE-supported projects across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. This in-person gathering served as a dynamic platform for policymakers, researchers, and development practitioners to explore synergies and discuss how climate adaptation research can deliver real impact.

A key highlight of the event was ICLEI South Asia’s active participation in the Capacity Strengthening (CS) working group plenary. Representing the project “Enhancing Local Capacities in Socially Inclusive Resilience in Asia (SIRA)”, implemented jointly by ICLEI Southeast Asia and ICLEI South Asia, the team shared insights from project activities in Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia, and the Philippines. The SIRA project, grounded in local empowerment and inclusive practices, stood out as a strong example of how climate adaptation research can be translated into action.

During the presentation, ICLEI South Asia highlighted impactful strategies that were implemented under the SIRA project in Bangladesh and Nepal, including:

• Country-level capacity-building trainings for 16 urban local governments in each country.
• Peer exchange learning mechanisms, fostering both in-country and cross-country knowledge sharing.
• 15 internships for young women, promoting gender-responsive leadership in the resilience and climate action space.

During the discussions, participants explored how internship and fellowship models from various projects, including SIRA, could inform and enrich each other. The exchange of experiences highlighted the potential for cross-project learning, particularly in areas such as youth engagement, gender inclusion, and capacity building for emerging professionals in the climate resilience sector.

The plenary sessions focused on transformational change and explored areas where the CLARE programme can strategise its next steps to enhance research for impact. The other thematic working groups – Research for Impact (R4I), Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI), and Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) also offered participants space for deeper engagement and knowledge exchange.

Participants also engaged in interactive poster exhibitions where all projects showcased their key milestones and highlighted the lessons learned. These open-space displays encouraged cross-regional dialogue and peer learning.

The workshop concluded with a field visit to two slums in Lusaka, offering participants with on-the-ground perspectives on climate vulnerability and locally driven adaptation efforts.