This podcast highlights how both the impacts of climate change and our responses to climate change affect climate change risk of structural economic transformation.

examines Structural Economic Transformation (SET) in a world impacted by climate change, asserting its continued importance for poverty reduction and resilience. It highlights how climate change necessitates adaptations in development strategies, from diversifying production away from vulnerable sectors to capitalising on green economy opportunities, which are also influenced by geopolitics. The authors investigate how climate change and global responses affect national SET efforts and cross-border economic transformation, using case studies from Ethiopia, Jamaica, Kenya, Bangladesh, and Kazakhstan to illustrate diverse national experiences. The paper identifies a "green squeeze" through trade and finance policies by major industrial powers, but also proposes a "green ease" through reformed trade measures, R&D in green technologies, and supportive financial systems. Ultimately, it argues that advancing SET, alongside climate adaptation, is critical for all countries, with existing development initiatives now also serving to build climate resilience and competitiveness in a low-carbon economy. It is based on work from ODI Global and the Climate Risk Lab: Securing structural economic transformation in a climate-changed world. ODI Global Working paper. London: ODI Global, www.odi.org/publications/securing-structural-economic-transformation-in-a-climate-changed-world

This Rest is Climate podcast examines the critical role of Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) in climate change adaptation in Africa. They highlight how ILK, encompassing traditional wisdom, practices, and observations, is crucial for African communities, particularly smallholder farmers, in forecasting weather patterns, managing natural resources, and ensuring food security. The texts also acknowledge the challenges to ILK's continued use, such as urbanisation, colonial influences, and a lack of formal recognition and documentation, while stressing the importance of integrating ILK with modern scientific approaches for more effective and inclusive climate adaptation strategies across the continent.

It is based on research from the Climate Risk lab covering:

• Role of Indigenous and local knowledge in seasonal forecasts and climate risk preparedness: a case study of smallholder farmers in Chiredzi, Zimbabwe, Environmental Science and Policy, 145, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2023.03.017
• Is indigenous knowledge serving climate adaptation? Evidence from various African regions, Development Policy Review, https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12664
• The Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Climate Change Adaptation in Africa, Environmental Science and Policy, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2022.06.004
• The role of indigenous knowledge and local knowledge in water sector adaptation to climate change in Africa: A structured assessment, Sustainability Science, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-022-01118-x
• Understanding responses to climate-related water scarcity in Africa, Science of The Total Environment, 806(1), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150420

This podcast focuses on recent advances in complex climate change risk assessment for adaptation and discusses how to better assess and manage the intricate and interconnected risks posed by climate change. It highlights promising opportunities for action in areas like cities, coastal zones, and finance, advocating for the implementation of new methodologies.

These methods, such as participatory modelling and adaptation pathways planning, aim to overcome challenges like uncertainty and complexity by providing more actionable insights for decision-makers. The podcast then discusses five key enablers for effective and equitable adaptation, including integrating equity, avoiding maladaptation, investing in accessible knowledge, incorporating diverse expertise, and assessing local feasibility.

The podcast is drawn from research at the Climate Risk Lab on the theme:

Advances in complex climate change risk assessment for adaptation. npj Clim. Action 4, 74 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44168-025-00281-y