About the Project

ADAPTA-Mossoró is a collaborative research initiative between Lancaster University (UK) and Universidade do Estado do Rio Grande do Norte (UERN), working directly with the Mossoró community and Fridays for Future Mossoró. Our mission is to strengthen climate resilience in Mossoró by placing the knowledge and needs of vulnerable communities at the center of urban planning.

Why Mossoró?

Mossoró, capital of Brazil's semi-arid northeast (SANEB), faces intensifying climate challenges: extreme heatwaves, flash floods, and irregular rainfall patterns that disproportionately affect residents in precarious housing conditions. While climate change impacts everyone, it does not affect everyone equally. ADAPTA-Mossoró recognizes that marginalized communities—particularly women, youth, the elderly, and those in low-income areas—bear the greatest burden yet often have the least voice in decision-making.

Our Approach

We reject top-down solutions. Instead, we work with communities, not for them. Through participatory appraisal methods, we co-create knowledge about local climate vulnerabilities and develop adaptation strategies rooted in lived experience. This project bridges community knowledge with institutional frameworks, ensuring that climate adaptation plans reflect actual community needs rather than abstract assumptions.