Casa Socio-Environmental Fund on the Frontlines of Climate Adaptation

Strengthening Communities and Local Solutions for a More Resilient Future

Climate adaptation must be shaped by those who experience the impacts of the environmental crisis in their daily lives. At Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, we believe that solutions lie within the communities themselves and that strengthening this knowledge is essential to ensuring climate justice.

With a decentralized funding model focused on local leadership, we support initiatives that restore territories, promote water security, and restore environmental balance. From North to South Brazil, the projects we support demonstrate that climate resilience is born from the connection between people and their territories.

The Mulheres da Terra Nursery, a project supported by Casa Fund, is producing native seedlings for the restoration of degraded areas in Viamão (RS). Photo: Rafa Dotti

In Rio Grande do Sul, for instance, where the 2023 floods devastated entire communities, members of the Mulheres da Terra group, located in the Filhos de Sepé settlement in Viamão, have found in agroecology and the restoration of degraded areas a path to rebuilding both their lives and the environment. The project “Viveiro Mulheres da Terra: Rebuilding the Connection with Mother Earth,” supported by Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, exemplifies how climate adaptation must be deeply rooted in local realities.

The project focuses on establishing a community nursery to produce seedlings of native species, many of which are at risk of extinction. These seedlings will be used for reforesting degraded areas and revitalizing agroforestry home gardens, strengthening climate resilience and ecosystem recovery. The initiative also empowers the women of the settlement, who are already leaders in agroecological production and the fight for land rights.

“Since our nursery is very recent, our work is raising awareness about climate change and presenting a way to restore our forests through tree planting,” explains Isabel Cristina Ribeiro Dalenogare, coordinator of the group and a land reform settler.

The project goes beyond immediate environmental restoration. The group understands that climate adaptation requires long-term actions, such as environmental education and community engagement.

“In 2025, we plan to donate around 1,000 native seedlings to the community. With this planting, we encourage care for our territory, strengthening it to face climate change.”

— Isabel Cristina Ribeiro Dalenogare, coordinator of the Mulheres da Terra group (RS)

One of the project’s central strategies is to engage children and youth in the environmental restoration process, ensuring the continuity of sustainable practices. “Going to schools to teach children the importance of caring for nature and encouraging them to plant and monitor seedling growth is essential. This will undoubtedly lead to more people becoming aware of climate change issues and taking action by restoring nature,” emphasizes the coordinator.

The group’s experience demonstrates that rebuilding Rio Grande do Sul must go beyond infrastructure and incorporate nature-based solutions. Strengthening communities and restoring their connection to the land are key to ensuring that extreme events, such as floods, have less devastating impacts in the future.

Climate Adaptation: How Casa Socio-Environmental Fund Becomes a Reference in Building Local Solutions

Amid the increasing impacts of climate change, Casa Socio-Environmental Fund has positioned itself as a leading supporter of locally led adaptation solutions. We prioritize communities and frontline populations, such as Indigenous peoples, quilombolas, women, youth, and local organizations, who possess deep knowledge of the challenges in their territories.

We support initiatives focused on reforestation, agroecology, and biodiversity conservation, believing that the best responses to the climate crisis come directly from the communities themselves. That is why, for Casa Fund, recognizing and strengthening local knowledge is essential.

The policy brief Community Philanthropy and Locally-Led Adaptation Solutions: Lessons Learned from the Global South, published by Casa Fund, provides an in-depth analysis of the challenges and opportunities in financing climate adaptation.

Access the publication at: www.casa.org.br/en/publications

The study highlights the disparity between the needs of vulnerable communities and the resources available to finance climate adaptation actions. It also critiques the centralization of funds and the bureaucracy that exclude local communities from decision-making processes, making access to funding more difficult and inefficient.

Another key point addressed in the study is that many climate resources are offered as loans, further worsening the financial situation of developing countries. This makes climate solutions harder to implement, as costs increase, placing an even greater burden on the populations that most need support.

Additionally, the study underscores the need to strengthen partnerships with local institutions, recognizing the importance of collaboration in creating fairer and more effective climate adaptation solutions. These partnerships are essential to ensuring that communities can access the necessary resources to promote sustainable actions in their territories.

One example of this locally-led adaptation model is the work of forest fire brigades, which combat wildfires and engage in prevention efforts, protecting critical areas for biodiversity and climate balance. The participation of communities in these actions strengthens local self-management, a key element for long-lasting and effective solutions.

Apinajé Women’s Brigade: A Reference in Climate Adaptation in the Amazon

In the Apinajé Indigenous Land, in northern Tocantins, a brigade composed exclusively of women has stood out in the fight against forest fires, directly confronting the impacts of the climate crisis.

The initiative, called Pēp Apinajé: Indigenous Guardians, is a pioneering effort in the transition zone between the Cerrado and the Amazon, supported by Casa Fund and international partners. This project has become an example of climate adaptation and community empowerment, bringing together the strength of Indigenous women to preserve the environment and combat climate change.

Apinajé women, from the first Indigenous female volunteer brigade in the Amazon, take part in the first prescribed burn activity of the 2023 fire season in the Apinajé Indigenous Land. Photo: Bruno Kelly

The 29 women of the brigade operate in a territory particularly vulnerable to wildfires, which threaten vegetation and other essential natural resources for local communities each year. Data from the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) show that after a period of decline, fire hotspots in the Apinajé Indigenous Land have increased again in recent years, intensifying challenges for the brigade members.

To address this situation, the women received certified training from the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) through the Prevfogo program. They work alongside the contracted brigade, which has been active in the region since 2014. In addition to direct fire suppression, the brigade carries out prescribed burns, a preventive management method that prevents the uncontrolled spread of wildfires during the driest months.

Maria Aparecida Apinajé, known as Cida, was one of the project’s founders and highlights the importance of women’s participation in environmental protection: “Our project is about preservation, maintaining our traditions, promoting environmental education, and raising awareness against wildfires and the destruction of our territory,” she states.

Supporters and funders who share socio-environmental principles have been essential in strengthening community brigades, recognizing the autonomy of communities in protecting their biomes.

In recent years, Casa Fund has launched six calls for proposals that have supported 227 wildfire prevention and response projects, donating a total of R$9.8 million to these initiatives. The support includes training, the acquisition of equipment, and the implementation of wildfire prevention strategies, increasing the climate resilience of forest communities.

The Apinajé women’s brigade has inspired other communities to strengthen their own wildfire prevention and response initiatives, demonstrating that local mobilization is essential.

“I am fighting so that we don’t lose our plants, our medicines, so that everything is not lost,” says Marlucia Apinajé, a leader of the Apinajé people.

Challenges and Solutions in Climate Financing for Vulnerable Communities

Global funding for climate adaptation still falls far short of what is needed. Estimates suggest that the necessary amount is 10 to 18 times greater than what is currently available. Unfortunately, much of this funding is not distributed fairly, with little priority given to the most vulnerable populations.

In Brazil and other Global South countries, accessing these resources is hindered by numerous barriers, from excessive bureaucracy to centralized decision-making. These challenges make it harder for local communities to receive the necessary support quickly and effectively.

Training course for the Indigenous Women’s Fire Brigade by PrevFogo IBAMA in São José Village, Apinajé Indigenous Land, Tocantins. November 2022. Photo: Bruno Kelly.

The majority of global resources for climate adaptation remain concentrated in the Global North, while only a small fraction reaches the Global South. In the case of human rights funding, 99% is controlled by foundations in the North, and only 12% reaches groups in the Global South.

For Cristina Orpheo, Executive Director of Casa Socio-Environmental Fund, this reality needs to change. “The current global climate financing model is bureaucratic and centralized, preventing resources from reaching those who need them most. Casa Fund and other community funds in the Global South prove that decentralizing and simplifying access to funding is essential for strengthening the resilience of vulnerable populations,” she states.

“The countries that contributed the least to the climate crisis are the ones suffering the most and, ironically, they still have to bear the costs of adaptation.” – Cristina Orpheo

Since 2005, Casa Socio-Environmental Fund has been working across Brazil in direct collaboration with the most vulnerable communities. In just the past two years, it has supported 968 projects and allocated over R$83 million to local initiatives, reinforcing the idea that climate adaptation solutions come from those who experience the problem firsthand. This work has been transformative—not only for communities but also for the broader climate adaptation ecosystem.

One of the most challenging areas has been supporting wildfire brigades in Brazil. The increasing number of wildfires has required rapid and effective action. Between 2019 and 2021, Casa Fund allocated more than R$40 million to over a thousand projects, ensuring that communities were prepared to face fires and strengthen their socio-environmental rights.

With COP30 approaching, there is growing anticipation that the new global climate finance goal will consider the urgent needs of developing countries and the most vulnerable populations. In this context, community funds in the Global South play an essential role in enabling effective and accessible solutions.

Cristina Orpheo emphasizes the need for funders to guarantee direct access to resources for Indigenous peoples and traditional communities. For her, climate adaptation must be rooted in human rights, with an intersectional approach. “Funds from the Global South play a crucial role as financial mechanisms that provide direct support to local communities. These funds need more resources to expand the solutions coming from the communities themselves, scaling up the number of projects supported each year,” she states.

Decentralizing funding and strengthening local initiatives are unavoidable paths to addressing the climate crisis with justice and effectiveness. Protecting territories and ways of life means protecting the future, and Casa Socio-Environmental Fund remains committed to this mission, standing alongside those who build climate resilience every day.