Building trust and generating good relations with the indigenous communities during the construction of the REM was possible thanks to the interaction that was maintained with them through meetings, events generally held in a maloca where the mambe and the ambil were the catalysts for a harmonious exchange of knowledge.

The building block provides agriculture extension services to support effective water management and climate-smart agriculture research and capacity at the community level. It is focused on promoting agro-diverse and local climate resilient crops and the implementation of climate adapted productive practices to enhance rural livelihoods that are adapted to climate projections for both drought and flooding. These agro-diverse productive systems prize local biodiversity and are compatible with the wetland systems thus rescuing and favoring traditional crops that had been lost through monoculture and that have proven to withstand climate stresses more effectively. 

Households are provided with home gardening and water management kits including seeds (provided through women managed local seed banks), mulch, and other inputs. Training on how to establish these systems including using low cost irrigation technologies and elevating crop beds is given. Rural extension support allows households to learn by doing through experimentation with a farmer field school approach. This has enabled the rescuing and systematization of local knowledge while creating partnerships with local research institutions. These home gardens have enhanced food security in the face of COVID and recent flooding.

This Building block recognizes the increasing weather volatility (particularly in the form of precipitation) that will be felt in La Mojana as a result of climate change. While some local early warning capacities existed, weather station coverage and data management capacity were insufficient for localized weather alerts that would allow communities to protect local livelihoods, particularly as past flooding incidents had resulted in important economic losses and affected water and weather security.

The project addressed the need for early warning systems by enhancing the development of a regional forecasting center with the capacity for hydrological modelling as well as in the development of early warning information products. This has resulted in the development of timely agro bulletins and alerts that have enhanced communities' access to climate information. The project has also provided information on how to manage early alerts, looking to integrate local capacity. This brings a move from information to action while also relating to the investments made through building blocks 2, 3 and 5 that generate adaptive capacity in water management for household and productive use.

The area is located on a wetland system that provides services in natural flood protection, purification and water supply as well as their economic value in community livelihoods. Climate change has increased the community’s reliance on these services as water has become scarcer and flooding more frequent. 

The project has been working with Ministry of Environment, the Alexander von Humboldt Research Institute and local environmental departments in the restoration of key wetland areas. The restoration work is guided by the hydrological flow modelling that was developed in the region by the National Adaptation Fund that has served as an important input for local planning.  Restoration work is organized by community restoration plans and environmental monitoring carried out by local communities, particularly women. Restoration actions include a productive landscape approach that prizes ecosystem compatibility of productive activities in the region including agro forestry and silvo pastoral activities. This includes identifying ecosystem compatible livelihood opportunities that are inclusive to women and indigenous peoples. The project is working with livestock associations to develop a code of practice along the wetlands as part of its approach for sustainable ecosystem management.

Access to reliable sources of safe drinking water is one of the most critical issues in La Mojana. Over 42% of the population has no access to drinking water. This situation will be exacerbated by increased temperatures and more frequent extreme events such as floods. 

The project has invested in a diverse set of water solutions based on a local vulnerability analysis that was developed categorizing capacity for water access. The solutions include household and community rain water harvesting systems to capture water during rainy seasons and the enhancement of existing water infrastructure. This was done by repairing local micro-aqueducts and ensuring that these have the capacity to withstand use during summer months (use of solar panels to reduce stress on water pumps, enhanced pumping systems and tanks) and are able to protect water sources from contamination during floods. 

Solutions are accompanied by training on how to operate and maintain these systems and water quality monitoring. Training is also provided to local water boards to enhance community capacity for water management. Capacity is provided through local responsible parties to ensure knowledge remains within the region and is relevant and that households are aware of the impact that climate change will have on local water sources.

Local planning processes did not incorporate CC considerations due to a lack of technical and institutional guidance on how to include climate impacts, projections and risks into planning and everyday municipal activities such as the issuing of water extraction permits. Stakeholders had little practical awareness of what climate projections meant and the adaptation options available. Information was not always available to all nor packaged to translate learning into action. 

The project invested in the development of knowledge products for water management such as a groundwater flow and quality model to provide the information required to enhance water management and regulation capacities of local authorities. The model is supported by a decision makers guide to ensure local capacity for its use in planning. The project also invested in a socialization strategy to allow communities to receive targeted information and training for a greater understanding. This has included investment in an indigenous strategy that includes traditional information and methods on water management for design of a training module to be presented through indigenous universities. To ensure continuity and availability of the information it has been systematized in a data bank located within a National Agency.

The EbA measure was discussed and included as a practical implementation measure during the development of the following public policies in the region: (a) PACS - Santos Climate Action Plan 

(b) Municipal Plan for Recovery and Conservation of the Atlantic Forest (PMMA) (c) Subnational adaptation governance study and (d) São Paulo State Adaptation Plan under the Race to Resilience

The construction of these plans and guides was made with the involvement of a large number of diverse actors, were approved and will be launched on January 2022.

While the inception phase of the EbA measure at Monte Serrat, in 2019 the elaboration of the PMMA and PACS began to be discussed and were finally approved in 2021. Since the beginning, the PMMA applied the EbA cycle and gender equity and climate change lens. 

The EbA methodology was characterized as a common goal of the multi sectors that encouraged diverse political will and allowed the integration between environmental, urban and risk reduction policies in the municipality of Santos. Public policies institutionalizing enables EbA enhancement, replication and involvement of the private sector. 

In the period at the end of 2019 and beginning of 2020, together with the Community Association, dialogues began to plan the implementation of the EbA proposal. The suggestions of residents, city hall technicians and the GIZ team were observed. However, in February and March 2020 there were torrential rains (extreme events) that caused landslides on Monte Serrat and other hills in the municipality, causing death in some of them and destruction of homes, making it impossible to continue the work.

While the community was recovering and restructuring, the COVID pandemic began and, with that, the cancellation of all the activities of the actors involved. During this period, the community also remained united, seeking to minimize the damage caused by job losses and illnesses caused by the pandemic.

In the brief period between the end of the rains and the beginning of the pandemic, the city's technicians started to recover the slopes of some hills by planting native species according to the EbA methodology learned. However, the pandemic prevented the continuation of all work on Monte Serrat and on the other hills.

After adapting to the new pandemic scenario, during 2020 and 2021 virtual meetings were held in order to monitor the situation of the community, to resume activities and plan the Communication project.

The gender approach of Monte Serrat recognizes women as victims but also part of the solution. Climate change affects groups that are socially, environmentally, and economically vulnerable differently, be it women, indigenous peoples or communities. On the other hand, women's decision-making responses to climate risks can be faster and more efficient.

It is essential to think of solutions that respect the right to non-discrimination of these groups. Guided by international recommendations, gender mainstreaming favors the participation and equitable engagement of all people living in Monte Serrat. In addition, the idea was to promote representativeness in the technical staff responsible for implementing the EbA measures.

Gender equity was reinforced in all stages and resulted in greater participation of women, including pregnant, nursing and women with newborns and babies, without the embarrassment of bringing children to the workshop space. They were welcomed and given special attention through the support of the municipality's Secretariat of Social Assistance.

This made it possible for women to feel comfortable to contribute to the construction of EbA solutions that benefit them directly, by giving suggestions for a recreation area for their children with fruit trees that could be used in cooking.

The sense of community on Monte Serrat and surrounding hills was fundamental to choose an active social participation approach. After all, it is the people living there who feel the impacts caused by climate change, such as landslides. The frequent visits by the Municipality Hall (Civil Defense) and the constant contacts with locals were extremely important to gain the trust of the community, especially to engage young people and more recent residents in the area. 

The relocated families were invited to participate in the workshops to value their history and the ties built in the region and  to take advantage of the benefits of the EbA measure.

The strategy of the participatory approach, joint between public authorities, civil society and the assistance of ProAdapta, (i) built community knowledge about climate change and its link to local climate vulnerability and (ii) strengthened relationships of trust among the diversity of stakeholders involved. The high-risk areas that have been vacated need to be urgently and consensually designated before any attempt of reoccupation, therefore the urgency of the EbA workshops. 

Residents of other neighboring hillsides that suffer from the same landslide problems were invited to participate to replicate the methodology and upscale the solution.