BAMOS March 2023
8 News
Source : IPCC
Adaptation falls short
Rapid action on climate change is the economically sensible thing to do . If we fail to rein in emissions , adapting to the damage it causes will be more difficult and expensive in future . What ’ s more , our existing adaptation options will become less effective .
Every increment of warming will intensify climate-related hazards such as floods , droughts , heatwaves , fires and cyclones . Often , two or more hazards will occur at the same time .
Unfortunately , overall global adaptation has not kept up with the pace and degree of increasing impacts from climate change . Most responses have been fragmented , incremental and confined to a specific sector of the economy . And most are unequally distributed across regions and vary in their effectiveness .
The barriers to more effective adaptation responses are wellknown . Chief among them is a widening gap between costs of adaptation and allocated finance . We can , and should , do a lot better .
As today ’ s IPCC report confirms , there are ways to make adaptation more effective . More investment in research and development is needed . So too is a focus on long-term planning as well as inclusive , equitable approaches that bring together diverse knowledge .
Many adaptation options bring significant side benefits . Better home insulation , for instance , can help us deal with extreme weather as well as reduce heating and cooling costs and related greenhouse gas emissions .
Moving people off flood-prone areas and returning these areas to more natural systems can reduce flood risk , increase biodiversity and store carbon dioxide in plants and soil .
And climate adaptation policies that prioritise social justice , equity and a “ just transition ” can also help achieve other global ambitions , such as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals .
We can close the gap
On both climate change mitigation and adaptation , a massive gap remains between what ’ s needed and what ’ s being done .