Climate risk intelligence and sustainable rural competitiveness: A strategic framework for climate-resilient territorial development

Abstract

Purpose: This study develops and applies a Climate Risk Intelligence (CRI) framework that connects competitive intelligence theory with climate governance and rural development to enhance the adaptive capacity of rural territories. Climate risks are increasing in rural territories, compromising food security and sustainable development among more than 3.4 billion people worldwide, yet existing frameworks fail to address climate adaptation as a strategic intelligence problem.

Methodology/approach: The research applies an integrated methodology combining systematic literature analysis (41 sources, 2018–2024), spatial vulnerability assessment, multi-criteria decision analysis, and statistical modeling, structured around the CRI logic: Climate Data, Intelligence Processing, Strategic Adaptation, Sustainable Rural Competitiveness.

Originality/Relevance: The study's originality lies in introducing CRI as a bridging construct between competitive intelligence theory, climate governance, and rural development an integration absent from existing literature.This study introduces CRI as a bridging construct between competitive intelligence theory, climate governance, and rural development.

Key findings: The results reveal a significant decline in agricultural productivity (25–37% for key crops), confirm that 60% of rural households experience food insecurity, and identify hybrid intelligence-based adaptation strategies combining traditional knowledge with modern technologies as the most effective approach to building sustainable rural competitiveness.

Theoretical/methodological contributions: The study proposes an original CRI framework Climate Intelligence Capability, Rural Adaptive Capacity, Sustainable Competitiveness that advances competitive intelligence theory into the territorial climate governance domain.