Adaptation

Adaptation in social, cultural, and economic contexts is an important component of thinking about societal response to climate change. As such, adaptation is defined in many ways. It can be defined as a process that enables people to minimize the adverse effects of climate on their health and well-being. It also refers to the capacity of people or societies to take advantage of the changes that the climate might provide. Adaptation can also mean the adjustments in behavior and economic structures that will reduce societal vulnerability to climate change impacts.

This can include changes to social and cultural structures or mores within society, so that vulnerability to climate variability and potential extreme events is reduced. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptability as “the degree to which adjustments are possible in practices, processes, or structures of systems to projected or actual changes of climate,” and notes, “adaptation can be spontaneous or planned, and can be carried out in response to or in anticipation of a change in conditions.”

Of great interest to policymakers, however, is the ability of societies to implement adaptations. The IPCC reiterates that adaptation is more than just finding a technical “fix,” but should incorporate a combination of strategic and technical options. This is generally discussed in the literature as the term adaptive capacity. The IPCC report (2001) on adaptive capacity notes that the capacity to adapt, as with vulnerability, is a result of the integration of wealth, scientific and technical knowledge, information, skills, infrastructure, institutions, and equity. This report also states that adaptations will be more beneficial if they are incorporated into existing strategies such as coastal zone management, disaster mitigation, land use planning, and sustainable development programs, a process referred to elsewhere in the literature as mainstreaming.