It highlights their effects on social cohesion and adaptation strategies in the face of climate risks. By examining case studies from cyclone-affected northern Mozambique, Zimbabwe's Chimanimani district, and Kenya’s Rastafari communities, the presentation argues that local religious and spiritual frameworks significantly influence climate interpretations, collective action, and resilience to disasters such as droughts, floods, and cyclones.
The analysis is grounded in prefigurative politics, human security, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals #13 (Climate Action) and #16 (Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions). It contends that adaptation strategies aligned with community meaning-making systems enhance development and resilience, while interventions that conflict with these values foster resistance and climate-related security risks. The lecture critiques the mainstream instrumentalization of religion in development policy, warning against reductionist “harmony industry” approaches and calling attention to persistent social challenges such as gender inequality.
