Supporting adaptation – Nature Climate Change
Supporting adaptation Nature.com
Climate Change Impacts and the Need for Adaptation
With climate change impacts increasingly being felt by more of the world’s population, adaptation efforts are urgently needed. However, similar to the unequal distribution of climate change impacts, the ability of societies to adapt is also heterogeneous.
The Impacts of Climate Change
- The summer of 2023 brought severe heatwaves, flooding, and drought to various parts of the world.
- These events have resulted in significant human costs and loss of life.
- The severity of these impacts varies across different regions.
Adaptive Capacity and Societal Challenges
- Adaptation to climate change requires resources, including financial, societal, informational, and governmental support.
- The Global South faces greater challenges and limitations in terms of adaptive capacity compared to the Global North.
- Assessing and supporting adaptive capacity is crucial for reducing risk and exposure under climate change.
Improving Global Models for Adaptation
- Global models often inadequately represent adaptation compared to physical manifestations and economic consequences of climate change.
- Integrating adaptive capacity into existing models can provide more realistic assessments of climate change impacts on societies.
- Socioeconomic indicators, such as extreme poverty, urbanization, population size, government control of corruption, and gender equality, can be used to measure adaptive capacity.
Incorporating Indigenous and Local Knowledge
- Indigenous and local knowledge can provide valuable insights into adaptation potential.
- Acknowledging and including the perspectives of affected communities in international debates is essential for effective adaptation efforts.
The Need for Increased Attention and Funding
- Adaptation is gaining more attention and funding, but current impacts demonstrate the need for further action.
- All countries must adapt to a changing climate, with priority given to societies facing greater limitations.
References
- Kimutai, J. et al. Human-induced Climate Change Increased Drought Severity in Horn of Africa (Grantham Institute, 2023).
- Adaptation Gap Report 2022. Too Little, Too Slow: Climate Adaptation Failure Puts World at Risk. Executive Summary (United Nations Environment Programme, 2022).
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators
1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?
- SDG 13: Climate Action
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities
2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?
- SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters
- SDG 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters
- SDG 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women
- SDG 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations
3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?
- Measures of extreme poverty
- Urbanization rates
- Population size
- Government control of corruption
- Gender equality
SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table
SDGs | Targets | Indicators |
---|---|---|
SDG 13: Climate Action | SDG 13.1: Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters | – Measures of extreme poverty – Urbanization rates – Population size – Government control of corruption – Gender equality |
SDG 1: No Poverty | SDG 1.5: Build the resilience of the poor and those in vulnerable situations and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-related extreme events and other economic, social, and environmental shocks and disasters | – Measures of extreme poverty – Urbanization rates – Population size – Government control of corruption – Gender equality |
SDG 5: Gender Equality | SDG 5.b: Enhance the use of enabling technology, in particular information and communications technology, to promote the empowerment of women | – Measures of extreme poverty – Urbanization rates – Population size – Government control of corruption – Gender equality |
SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities | SDG 11.5: By 2030, significantly reduce the number of deaths and the number of people affected and substantially decrease the direct economic losses relative to global gross domestic product caused by disasters, including water-related disasters, with a focus on protecting the poor and people in vulnerable situations | – Measures of extreme poverty – Urbanization rates – Population size – Government control of corruption – Gender equality |
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Source: nature.com
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