Planning for climate adaptation and sustainability is an integral part of building sustainable societies. Adaptation is the process of adjusting to changing conditions. For example, adaptation to heat and cold climates involves changes in temperature, humidity, precipitation, land use, infrastructure, and building design. There is a broad range of adaptation strategies. They include building infrastructure that is better able to accommodate future conditions, reusing existing structures to a greater extent, and enhancing living conditions for current residents and future generations.
A key concept in adaptation strategies is sustainable development. This approach views adaptation as an integrated process that leads to successful management and eventual maintenance of the environment. It emphasizes building a resilient society that is capable of dealing with adverse impacts that come with changing climate conditions. Adverse impacts can be both physical and economic. These include loss of agricultural productivity, increased vulnerability to natural disasters, reduced productivity of local businesses, the impact on tourism, and loss of ecosystems. In some cases adaptation may reduce the risk of abrupt and extreme climate change.
The concept of adaptation measures was first put into place at the Earth summit in 1992. These were developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate change (IPCC). They are designed to reduce the effects of climate change on human health and ecosystems by improving knowledge on adaptation and mitigation. One of the principal strategies is the implementation of “smart growth” principles, including the wise use of ecosystems, renewable energy, improved land use management, and conservation of biodiversity. Other strategies include carbon pollution control, localized distribution of efficient energy sources, and improved disaster management.
One of the objectives of adaptation measures is to improve the efficiency with which human populations respond to sudden change by building and deploying more effective mechanisms forfinding, diagnosing, and preventing threats from various environmental change agents. Adaptation strategies build upon the capacity of current populations to deal with short-term changes in climate. In many parts of the world adaptation strategies to address the needs of the future generations, especially those who will be living in places highly vulnerable to abrupt climate change. Strategies therefore build capacity for future governments and other organizations.
Extreme weather events, which include hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, and heat waves, cause a large number of fatalities. These events are not predictable. Rapid response by communities and local governments is slow, sometimes inefficient, and insufficient to counter the high risk of damage and loss of life. Rapid adaptation can also reduce financial costs and increase safety. Several international agencies have put in place programs based on adaptation capacity building, including the U.N. Environment Program, World Wildlife Fund, the World Trade Organization, and the Red Cross.
Rapid adaptive capacity building should be part of the long-term sustainable development goals of the whole society. Voluntary action is an important means for sustainability development. For example, groups that have been victimized by extreme weather events can organize themselves as groups to help each other adapt and survive. Through such voluntary action, communities can learn from each other’s experiences, develop sustainable systems, and build resistance against climate change and environmental vulnerability.
There are several areas that are most affected by climate variability and change. These include water availability, food supply, natural resources, and energy. Man made climate change can affect all these areas negatively. Natural disasters such as floods, drought, heat waves, tsunami, hurricanes, tornadoes, snow storms, and tornadoes can destroy crops, infrastructure, and infrastructure leading to severe food and water shortages; devastating health impacts; massive unemployment; devastating human displacement and forced migrations. This can lead to social breakdowns and political radicalization, further pushing the already struggling countries to look for external assistance.
Climate change and variability had increased over the last century, with a sharp increase in greenhouse gas emissions leading the world to run out of some natural resources in a relatively short time. Extreme weather events continue to wreak havoc on human civilizations around the world. However, there is still a considerable amount of potential for adaptation and mitigation. Studies show that adaptation and mitigation efforts need to be geared to specific threats and areas. Strategies need to be developed to deal with changing precipitation patterns, glacier retreat, and increasing frequency of droughts. For example adaptation strategies can be designed to decrease vulnerability to climate extremes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions leading to climate change and variability, and promote sustainable development.
