Climate Adaptation – What is it?

You’ve probably heard the phrase climate adaptation about climate change and its forecasted consequences.

You might be familiar with the phrase, having read it on the Climate Adaptation Platform website or elsewhere. In this article, we will discuss what it means and what it covers.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Adaptation defines “adaptation” as “the process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects” (What is adaptation, 2017).

So what are these expected climates, and what do their effects refer to?

These include sea-level rise, more intense and frequent rainfall, longer droughts and dry weather, stronger hurricanes and typhoons, ocean warming, and melting glaciers, sea ice, and snow cover.

Adapting to climate change certainly presents challenges. Timing is one of the main challenges because of climate change’s uncertain nature, specifically when, how, or where it will hit. Acting too soon may produce inappropriate outcomes, while acting too late can be costly (What is adaptation, 2017).

Adaptation happens at various societal levels, from the individual to national and international. High levels of adaptation, for example, at national or global levels, mean that policies are needed to frame actions at the lower levels.

Countries can have differing abilities to adapt, termed adaptive capacity. The IPCC defines adaptive capacity as “the ability of systems, institutions, humans, and other organisms to adjust to potential damage, to take advantage of opportunities, or respond to consequences” (What is adaptation, 2017).

Wealthier and developed countries generally have a higher adaptive capacity than poor, less developed, and underdeveloped countries. However, higher adaptive capacity does not necessarily translate to action.

Types of Adaptation

According to Coast Adapt Australia, there are seven types of adaptation. These measures vary in scope, from the local government to a private entity or organisation, and each individual’s adaptation measures.

• First, incremental adaptation. This means small actions and adjustments to meet the community’s goals and expectations regarding climate change impacts.
• Second, transformational adaptation. These are actions that significantly change the community’s goals and actions when incremental actions are no longer enough.
• Third, proactive adaptation. These are actions taken before any climate change impacts occur.
• Fourth, reactive adaptation, a response to an event that has already occurred. 
• Fifth, private adaptation with private benefit is taken by an individual or a business that only benefits them.
• Sixth, private adaptation with public benefits, and
• Seventh, public adaptation is taken by a public entity, for example, a local government, that benefits the whole community.

Clark (2019) explains: “With regard to policies, response to climate change usually comes in two forms—adaptation and mitigation. Mitigation addresses the root problem by reducing emissions, while climate adaptation seeks to lower the risk and, in most cases, adjust to the consequences of climate change.”

Clark says that both will be necessary because mitigation measures will seek to reduce emissions causing the planet’s warming in the first place. At the same time, adaptation ensures that risks are kept in check and communities are resilient. In contrast, we reduce our emissions (Clark, 2019).

The climate has changed several times, and humans and animals have adapted well; otherwise, we wouldn’t be here.

Plants and Animals Adapting to Climate Change

Human beings have the ability, knowledge and technology to adapt well to changing climates. Still, with the abrupt change in temperature and changing landscapes, plants and animals find it hard to adjust.

That is why human beings intervene by identifying critical climate refugees worldwide. These refugees are used to move plants and animals so that they can survive.

Holistic climate adaptation means adapting to survive and be the fittest, and ensuring that all living creatures are valued based on their role in sustaining life on Earth.

To know more about how plants and animals are impacted by climate change and what humans are doing to help them, watch this video: