"Climate change adaptation is the process of adjusting to the effects of climate change. These can be both current or expected impacts."
The process of adjusting to the unavoidable impacts of climate change, such as sea level rise and increased temperatures.
Climate change: The long-term change in the Earth's climate, including variations in temperature, precipitation, and wind patterns.
Global warming: The gradual increase in the Earth's average surface temperature due to greenhouse gas emissions, primarily caused by human activities.
Greenhouse gases: Gases in the Earth's atmosphere that trap heat and contribute to global warming, including carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide.
Climate modeling: The use of computer simulations to predict the response of the Earth's climate to changes in greenhouse gas emissions and other factors.
Climate variability: Natural fluctuations in the Earth's climate over short timescales, such as the seasonal cycle or El Niño events.
Climate feedback loops: Interactions between the Earth's climate system components that amplify or dampen the effects of climate change.
Climate mitigation: Actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit the extent of climate change.
Climate adaptation: Strategies to help communities and ecosystems adapt to changing climate conditions.
Climate policy: Government actions and regulations aimed at addressing climate change, such as carbon pricing and emissions targets.
Carbon footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions caused by an individual, organization, or product.
Renewable energy: Energy sources that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including solar, wind, and hydropower.
Carbon capture and storage: Methods for capturing and sequestering carbon dioxide emissions from power plants and industrial processes.
Climate justice: The idea that global efforts to address climate change should take into account the needs of vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Ocean acidification: The decrease in pH of the Earth's oceans due to absorption of carbon dioxide, which can harm marine life.
Environmental ethics: The moral and philosophical principles that guide human interactions with the natural world, including responses to climate change.
Natural Adaptation: Natural adaptation refers to the ability of organisms and ecosystems to adapt to environmental changes over time. This type of adaptation is a natural process and includes various genetic, behavioral, and ecological responses.
Human Adaptation: Human adaptation includes various strategies that people adopt to cope with the changes caused by climate change and global warming. These strategies mainly include behavioral changes, technological innovations, and policy interventions.
Technological Adaptation: Technological adaptation involves the development and deployment of new technologies that can help mitigate or adapt to climate change impacts. These technologies include renewable energy, energy-efficient buildings, low-emission transportation, and advanced agriculture.
Policy Adaptation: Policy adaptation refers to the development of policies and regulations that can help mitigate or adapt to climate change. This type of adaptation mainly includes policies related to carbon pricing, climate-resilient infrastructure, land use planning, and environmental regulations.
Behavioral Adaptation: Behavioral adaptation refers to changes in human behavior patterns that can help mitigate or adapt to climate change impacts. These changes include reducing energy use, changing dietary habits, reducing waste and consumption, and adopting sustainable lifestyles.
Ecological Adaptation: Ecological adaptation refers to the ability of ecosystems to adapt to climate change impacts, such as changing temperature and precipitation patterns. This type of adaptation includes forest management, biodiversity conservation, and restoration of degraded ecosystems.
Financial Adaptation: Financial adaptation refers to the development of financial mechanisms that can help mobilize resources for climate change adaptation activities. These mechanisms include climate risk insurance, climate finance, and green bonds.
Strategic Adaptation: Strategic adaptation refers to the development of long-term adaptation strategies that can help communities, businesses, and governments adapt to climate change over time. These strategies involve a range of adaptation activities, including risk assessments, scenario planning, and adaptive management.
"Adaptation aims to moderate or avoid harm for people. It also aims to exploit opportunities."
"Humans may also intervene to help adjustment for natural systems."
"They can help manage impacts and risks to people and nature."
"We can classify adaptation actions in four ways. These are infrastructural and technological; institutional; behavioural and cultural; and nature-based options."
"Adaptation is particularly important in developing countries. This is because developing countries are most vulnerable to climate change."
"Adaptation needs are high for food and water. They are high for other sectors that are important for economic output, jobs, and incomes."
"Adaptation planning is important to help countries manage climate risks."
"Plans, policies or strategies are in place in more than 70% of countries."
"Other levels of government like cities and provinces also use adaptation planning. So do economic sectors."
"Developing countries can receive international funding to help develop national adaptation plans."
"The adaptation carried out so far is not enough to manage risks at current levels of climate change."
"Adaptation must also anticipate future risks of climate change."
"The costs of climate change adaptation are likely to cost billions of dollars a year for the coming decades."
"In many cases, the cost will be less than the damage that it avoids."
"Plans, policies or strategies are in place in more than 70% of countries."
"We can classify adaptation actions in four ways. These are infrastructural and technological; institutional; behavioural and cultural; and nature-based options."
"Adaptation is particularly important in developing countries. This is because developing countries are most vulnerable to climate change."
"Adaptation needs are high for food and water. They are high for other sectors that are important for economic output, jobs, and incomes."
"Adaptation planning is important to help countries manage climate risks."