Across Europe, communities are facing complex crises, from natural hazards to environmental pressures and conflict-related disruption. In these moments, recovery is shaped not by response systems alone, but by the capacity of communities to organise, adapt, and rebuild together.
The RISE Best Practice Guide captures how communities respond to crisis through local leadership, shared responsibility, and practical innovation. It offers a clear view of what effective, community-led recovery looks like in real contexts.
Drawing on case studies from across our partner countries, the Guide brings together tested approaches, transferable strategies, and examples of preparedness, recovery, and long-term adaptation. It combines structured analysis with grounded examples to support learning, reflection, and application, highlighting approaches that work in their original setting and can be adapted in others.
The Guide is organised around the themes that emerge across every case: grassroots mobilisation and community governance, frugal innovation, sustainable rebuilding, and the partnerships, funding, and capacity that make recovery durable. Rather than presenting isolated examples, it identifies patterns, lessons, and conditions for success, helping readers understand what works and why.
It is a practical resource for community leaders, adult educators, local authorities, and civil society organisations, offering examples and inspiration to drive innovation in community resilience and recovery.
At its core, the Guide reinforces a key principle of RISE: resilience is not about returning to the past, but about building communities that are stronger, better-prepared, and ready for the challenges still to come
