Climate adaptation: building resilience in a changing climate
Climate adaptation: building resilience in a changing climate
What you need to know
- Climate adaptation focuses on adjusting systems and behaviours to the impact of climate change
- The aim is to reduce the risks associated with higher temperatures, flooding, water scarcity and extreme weather events
- Adaptation complements mitigation by addressing vulnerability rather than emissions
- Governments, organisations and local communities all have a role to play
- Buildings and infrastructure are a critical part of an effective adaptation strategy
What is climate adaptation and why does it matter?
Climate adaptation is the process whereby societies adjust to the current and expected impacts of climate change. It aims to reduce vulnerability and manage climate-related risks in order to ensure long-term resilience.
According to the European Environment Agency, it helps to:
- Address unavoidable impacts, such as flooding and extreme weather, which are already having adverse effects on health, infrastructure, food systems and daily life in general.
- Mitigate climate-related risks by reducing exposure and protecting system capacity at the global, national and local level.
- Safeguard long-term development by protecting infrastructure and essential services, as well as livelihoods (especially in developing countries).
How climate adaptation works in practice
Climate adaptation involves assessing climate-related risks and developing robust actions to reduce the anticipated impact. The idea is to move decision-making away from long-term climate trends and instead towards practical choices that affect daily operations.
In practice, it starts with establishing a clear link between a climate risk and the local impact. For example, in one location, flooding or drought is likely to have a significant impact on people, whereas in another set of circumstances, extreme heat may be damaging for buildings or infrastructure.
Climate adaptation also considers actions both before and after a climate event. Some measures will be designed to reduce risks in future, whilst other measures will be focused on limiting damage and restoring services as quickly as possible following an event.
Ultimately, this strategy is important for a range of sectors, including healthcare, food production, water management, infrastructure, industry and building management. But in every sector, effective action will depend on good coordination and access to reliable data.
Differences between climate adaptation and climate mitigation
Climate adaptation and climate mitigation address different aspects of climate change. Both are essential, but they are focused on distinct objectives and timeframes.
- Climate mitigation targets the causes of climate change. This may be by trying to reduce greenhouse gas or carbon emissions through renewable energies and industrial decarbonisation.
- Climate adaptation responds to the eventual impacts of climate change. It focuses on protecting people and infrastructure from heat, flooding, water stress and extreme weather.
Adaptation is not a replacement for mitigation. Higher emissions will ultimately increase climate risks and long-term costs. Therefore, an effective climate strategy requires both.
Key climate risks that shape adaptation strategies
The physical impacts of climate change vary by region, sector and even the level of development. As a result, clearly identifying the applicable risks is essential if governments and organisations are to adopt the most actions.
The main climate risks that drive adaptation priorities
Warmer temperatures and heatwaves do not just affect human health; they also reduce productivity and put a strain on energy supplies. Moreover, buildings and infrastructure can come under significant thermal stress. All of these factors increase vulnerability in built-up and industrial areas.
Meanwhile, as rainfall becomes heavier and less predictable, the risk of flooding rises significantly. Extreme flooding can cause untold damage to buildings and transport networks, especially in dense urban areas with urban areas with limited drainage capacity.
Indeed, many climate risks are directly linked to water in one way or another. While one area may experience severe flooding, another may be hit with a water shortage, affecting food production and industrial processes, not to mention domestic water supplies. As rainfall patterns change, this places increased pressure on water supply systems and long-term development. Furthermore, as sea levels continue to rise, this increases the flood risk in coastal areas too.
Main types of climate adaptation strategies
Climate adaptation normally makes use of a limited number of complementary approaches:
- Structural and nature-based solutions, such as changes to structures or the use of natural systems to reduce exposure or water stress.
- Operational and organisational measures like advanced planning and procedures to limit disruption during extreme weather.
- Digital and data-driven solutions: monitoring and decision support tools can improve our ability to anticipate potential risks and contain them.
How buildings contribute to climate adaptation
Buildings are where people live and work and often house a range of services and technical systems, all of which are directly impacted by climate change.
Challenges and barriers to climate adaptation
Even when the climate risks are clear to see, climate adaptation can still face a number of obstacles.
Why is climate adaptation becoming a strategic priority?
Climate adaptation is increasingly shaping strategic decisions beyond sustainability teams. External pressures now mean that climate risks are being placed at the core of governance and long-term planning.
Weather events like heat and flooding threaten service continuity, as well as asset reliability. This means that organisations have to include adaptation as part of their operational risk management to protect critical processes.
Another important point to consider is that it is not just regulators who have an interest in climate adaptation. Investors and insurance companies alike expect companies to be able to clearly demonstrate what they are doing to make their organisations more resilient. Climate adaptation can directly influence access to finance and insurance, and this can have a knock-on effect for investment in infrastructure across public and private organisations.
Furthermore, governments also see adaptation as a key factor for public safety and food security, and it is being seen as a fundamental pillar of long-term development and social stability.
Frequently Asked Questions
Climate adaptation relies on assessing climate risks and levels of exposure. This will take into consideration physical factors, combined operational capacity and coordination with the authorities. Put together, all of these components can reduce the potential impact on human systems and assets.
For communities to adapt to climate change, they need to identify local risks, such as flooding or water stress. Then, they can plan and prioritise planning for infrastructure investment and public health measures.
Guidance and frameworks have been published by a range of governmental or international organisations and research bodies. These include national adaptation plans and sector-specific reports. Many tools can support decision-making at the local and national level.
Climate mitigation aims to reduce emissions and limit climate change. Climate adaptation, on the other hand, addresses impacts that already occur or are unavoidable. Both approaches operate on different time horizons but complement each other.
