Climate Adaptation

Climate change impacts – recognising what is still to come

Climate change remains the biggest global challenge for the 21st century. Its consequences affect all continents, all ecosystems, and all areas of human coexistence. The impact interdependencies and consequences of climate change are highly complex, regionally diverse, and intertwined.

Climate change exacerbates global and regional injustices. Moreover, through extreme events, it is already having an enormous impact on the global economy and causing massive damages. In the future, heat waves, droughts, and heavy precipitation events will occur even more frequently and more intensively. If adjustments are not made or are insufficient, we can expect even more serious disruptions in the future.

The manifestations of climate change vary locally – as do the economic and social conditions in dealing with the consequences of climate change. Therefore, in addition to data on climate development and risk assessment, strategies are required at regional and sectoral level to prepare for the consequences of change.

Climate adaptation – being prepared for the consequences

In contrast to preventative strategies as part of climate mitigation, adaptation to the consequences of climate change attempts to deal with changes in the climate that have already occurred or are expected to occur, to cope with the negative consequences, to reduce risks, and to exploit opportunities. The resilience of economic systems such as value chains is important for the design of such adjustment processes.

All levels – from politics and administration to businesses and individuals – must act together to achieve the goal of a climate-resilient economy and society.