With the effects of climate change increasingly being felt, many countries, communities and organizations around the world are already making good progress in adapting to the observed and projected impacts of climate change.

“Adaptation refers to adjustments in ecological, social, or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. It refers to changes in processes, practices, and structures to moderate potential damages or to benefit from opportunities associated with climate change". (IPCC 2001, Third Assessment Report)

Solutions to adapt to the effects of climate change take many shapes and forms, depending on the unique context of a community, business/organization, country, region etc., and the specific impacts of climate change. There is no ‘one-size-fits-all-solution when it comes to climate change adaptation - adaptation can range from building flood defenses, setting up early warning systems for cyclones and switching to crops that fare better under drought conditions, to redesigning communication systems, business operations and government policies. Adaptation commonly focuses on reducing vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, and increasing adaptive capacity and coping range.

To provide you with a flavor, a range of examples of adaptation activities are showcased below (bearing in mind this is certainly not exhaustive!).

Further examples of adaptation activities under the UNFCCC can be found in the NAPA database, Local coping strategies database, the Nairobi work programme partners and Action Pledges database, and the NWP Private Sector Initiative database. 

Building resilience for ecosystems and communities and sharing knowledge

Community-based adaptation initiatives in Samoa such as building coastline infrastructure to reduce erosion and protecting mangroves are increasing the resilience of ecosystems and communities. A UNDP-GEF project is helping to share knowledge gained at the community level with other regions of the world through documentary and social media.

Adapting highway network policies and standards in the UK

URS Scott Wilson was commissioned by the 3 Counties Alliance Partnership (3CAP) in the United Kingdom to carry out a collaborative study to investigate the impact of climate change on their highway policies and standards and to identify adaptation opportunities. As a result, a climate change adaptation action plan was developed and the three authorities have been able to start taking steps towards managing the effect that climate change may induce on their highways networks in the future. More information can be found on the NWP PSI database.

Women managing water in Sri Lanka

In response to increasing periods of drought, women in Sri Lanka’s dry zone have traditionally developed a wide range of strategies to obtain, purify and preserve water, and to use it frugally.  Strategies include operating and maintaining tanks and wells. More information can be found on the UNFCCC Local Coping Strategies Database.