Imagine you’re the mayor of a coastal city facing floods from rising sea levels. How would you take on this challenge? Well, you could move buildings to higher ground to protect them from flood water. You might choose to plant wetlands, which can protect the coastline from storms. And you’ll probably want to create an alarm to keep people safe. These are just a few of the ways you could respond to the floods your city is facing.

Exploring adaptation solutions

Adaptation refers to changes we can make to protect people and places from climate change. There are four key areas of adaptation. They are agriculture, city planning, ecological systems, and new technology.

Agricultural systems are the ways we farm food. This includes plants and animals. The whole world will need to change its agricultural systems to adjust to the changing climate. We simply have to grow enough food to feed everyone. This is especially important in areas facing increased droughts and storms. In these areas, we will need to focus on plants that can withstand these changing conditions.

City planning solutions involve changes to what we build. For example, areas with a lot of floods can build sea walls for protection.

Ecological solutions refer to the environment around us. In areas facing severe tropical storms, we can plant new wetlands, for example. Finally, we will need new technology to develop new tools and plans. The creation of advanced storm warning systems is a great example.

Evaluating adaptation solutions

It’s clear that climate change affects us in many ways. But how can a community decide what action to take, and where to focus their energy?

Firstly, local needs are key. Each region of the world will be hit by different kinds of disasters. Each region has its own local climate, geography, and way of life. This means different adaptation solutions will be better suited to different regions.

However, we can still evaluate and compare solutions overall based on three key points. First, time: How quickly can the solution make a difference? Second, cost: How much will it cost to make the changes, now and in the long term? And third, impact potential: How much difference will the solution make?

Let’s use drought-tolerant plants as an example. As we experience more frequent and longer droughts, plants that need a lot of water will likely die. If we don’t grow enough edible plants, many people will go hungry. However, if we focus on growing more drought-tolerant plants, we can drastically improve food supply. Now, let’s evaluate how important this solution is.

1. Time. Some drought-resistant plants already exist. Corn is one example. It grows relatively quickly, so its seeds can be distributed far and wide. Other drought-resistant plants will take more time for scientists to develop, but once planted, they will immediately increase the strength of the local food system, reducing mass hunger from drought.
2. Cost. The main costs for drought-tolerant plants come from research and getting them to farmers. The Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research is one of the largest international farming research institutions. It’s called CGIAR for short. We know that for every dollar spent on CGIAR, six dollars in benefits are created. This means the costs are worth it.
3. Impact potential. Impact is the effect of something on a person or a place. We need to look at which adaptation ideas can help the most. Many regions facing longer periods of drought also grow much of the world’s food. Any threat to the amount of food these regions can grow threatens food prices and accessibility everywhere. Drought-tolerant crops have a huge chance to positively impact these areas.

So what do you think? Is drought-tolerant farming a good place to focus our efforts? Drought-resistant seeds can be used quickly with widespread, immediate effects. And they have a low cost compared to the benefits they produce. Drought-tolerant farms can make a big difference for millions of people worldwide, particularly low-income farmers.

Implementing adaptation solutions

So far we’ve looked at categorizing adaptation solutions and ways to evaluate them. But who should develop and carry out these solutions?

Many of those who are most at risk of climate change are the least responsible. Some regions are already feeling the effects of climate change. This is not only due to their location, but a lack of money, power, and reliance on the land. Without adaptation solutions, these communities will suffer the most. But who will pay for adaptation solutions to help them?

Take the example of drought-tolerant crops. Who should pay for the development and distribution of those seeds? Should it be the farmers? Or should the countries that have caused the most greenhouse gases be responsible?

No matter who is responsible, it is clear these communities must not be ignored. In fact, we will need their help and support in tackling adaptation. Because any adaptation solution we use must help everyone survive and thrive in the face of climate change. Especially those who are most at risk and least responsible.