By: Olamide John Oladele
July 25, 2024
Climate change is one of the existentialist and trickiest problems the world is currently experiencing, which as a multifaceted problem spans several fields, including environment, economics, politics, and social justice. Climate change thus requires a comprehensive approach and a holistic approach that considers all aspects of the issue in order to effectively address climate change.
Climate change is a pressing issue that requires proactive and innovative solutions to alleviate its effects. Consequently, from several research and studies that have been carried out over the years, adaptation and mitigation have been identified as two of the best-known overarching methods for combating climate change. These methods encompass a wide variety of approaches, techniques, and practices for addressing climate change.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) defines adaptation as the process of altering natural or human systems in response to actual or projected climate change in order to lessen susceptibility and boost resilience to the effects of climate change (White, 2022).This entails making adjustments to procedures, practices, and organizational structures and essentially changing both infrastructure (e.g., greening urban areas for water storage) and behavior (e.g., living patterns in terms of where and how of living and communities).
Mitigation, on the other hand, requires humans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through actions such as transitioning to renewable energy sources and increasing energy efficiency by reducing sources of these gases (for example, the burning of fossil fuels for electricity, heat, or transport, proper waste management) or enhancing the sinks that accumulate and store these gases (such as the oceans, forests, and soil) (EPA, 2024). Essentially, adaptation involves implementing strategies to minimize its impact on our environment and communities, ensuring a sustainable future for generations to come, while mitigation focuses on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to prevent further warming of the planet.
People tend to have the misconception that once adaptation and mitigation measures are in place, there is no need for further action. These misconceptions have led to a lack of urgency in addressing climate change and actions such as halting adaptation efforts prematurely by not fully implementing necessary changes, reverting back to old habits, ignoring new information and technologies that could further enhance resilience, and failing to continuously monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of existing adaptation strategies despite the overwhelming evidence of their detrimental effects on the planet and future generations.
These misconceptions are often fueled by various factors and misinformation. One of the most pervasive misconceptions about climate change is the propensity for people to confuse climate change with one or more general environmental issues, which produces misunderstandings and confusion about the precise causes and impacts of climate change. Another prominent misconception held by individuals is the belief that climate change is primarily due to the natural variability of the climate system rather than human activities such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation. This misconception can be attributed in part to intentional campaigns of misinformation that emphasized natural climate variability and the appearance of scientific conflict. Skepticism about human causation of climate change encourages thinking of natural cycles as the primary cause of climate change; individuals have shown confusion about how much of role natural cycles play compared to human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. This could lead individuals to believe that normal weather variation exists, which, at least to the extent that people distrust weather forecasts, may lead to less caution and support for adaptation and mitigation policies (Fleming et al., 2021).
False beliefs about the causes of climate change have led to a lack of awareness of the dangers it poses and a rise in skepticism over human involvement in the phenomenon. Even with more knowledge about the subject, those who are dubious about the causes of climate change exhibit less urgency and concern for taking action to address it. This carelessness impedes efforts to put into effect the laws and procedures that are required to successfully tackle climate change. Furthermore, people’s concern does not always rise when they are merely given more information. This implies that erroneous beliefs that attribute climate change to natural fluctuations cause a reduction in the general level of worry regarding climate change.
A further misconception that has contributed to the false perception that tackling climate change requires pursuing either adaptation or mitigation. This division is hazardous and counterproductive, particularly for the groups most at risk from the effects of climate change (farmers, coastal villages, small island nations, and other communities at the forefront of repercussions). Nevertheless, mitigation and adaptation are actually two sides of the same coin. To increase the effects of adaptation and mitigation efforts, even though working on both at the same time isn’t always feasible or possible, nor are these actions an instant fix for resolving the climate emergency. To put it simply, in order to optimize their efficacy in tackling climate change, communities and governments should pursue these initiatives together when feasible.
The various applications that simultaneously address both adaptation and mitigation activities include:
- Protecting coastal wetlands: serve to defend coasts against sea level rise by buffering storm surges and floodwaters and storing tons of carbon in their roots and soils.
- Promoting the benefits of sustainable agroforestry helps to sequester carbon, improve soil health, and provide economic opportunities for farmers. By planting trees on agricultural land, communities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions while also increasing biodiversity and resilience to climate change impacts.
- Decentralizing energy distribution which reduces reliance on fossil fuels and decreases greenhouse gas emissions. This shift towards renewable energy sources also helps to create more resilient and sustainable communities in the face of a changing climate.
- Securing Indigenous Peoples’ land rights promotes adaptation and mitigation by preserving biodiversity and natural resources. This also helps to empower Indigenous communities to participate in climate change mitigation efforts and build resilience against its impacts. Securing indigenous peoples’ rights will ensure they can hold onto their land, protect natural resources, and better sustain their livelihoods in the face of climate change.
- Improving mass transit to reduce emission as road transport accounts for 72% of global transportation-related emissions, a percentage that will continue to grow unless more low-carbon transportation options become available and accessible (UNECE, 2024). Transportation infrastructure is also extremely vulnerable to climate change impacts like storms and extreme heat. Disruptions to the network due to extreme weather will disproportionately affect low-income people and other vulnerable urban populations who have fewer mobility options. Resilient, low-carbon mass transit addresses both challenges. Increased public transportation also has the added benefits of relieving traffic congestion, reducing accidents and fatalities, and improving air quality. Both adaptation and mitigation are achieved through improved mass transit systems, making them a crucial component in creating more sustainable and equitable cities. By investing in resilient public transportation, cities can better prepare for the impacts of climate change while also working towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Synergy, as well as the enforcement of adaptation and mitigation activities, can lead to more efficient and effective solutions for combating climate change. This integrated approach can help communities become more resilient in the face of environmental challenges while also promoting development. For instance:
- Not only may innovation and investments in environmentally sound infrastructure and technology reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase resilience to climate change, but they can also foster the synergy between adaptation and mitigation. Investments in carbon-neutral and low-carbon energy technology, for instance, can lower GHG emissions, the energy intensity of economic development, the energy intensity of energy, and the long-term costs of mitigation.
- The complexity of linkages between human health, water, energy, land use, and biodiversity is expected to increase with the rising attempts to mitigate and adapt to climate change. Although there may be drawbacks, mitigation can help achieve other social objectives, such as those pertaining to livelihoods, human health, food security, the environment, energy availability, and sustainable development. Adaptation strategies may also help other social objectives and provide co-benefits from mitigation, and vice versa (IPCC, 2014).
- Planning and decision-making that incorporate adaptation and mitigation can complement sustainable development. Policies promoting other societal goals and mitigation and adaptation strategies can have significant trade-offs and synergies. To handle these trade-offs and synergies, policymakers can benefit from a multi-objective strategy.
- Effective adaptation and mitigation strategies will rely on policies and actions at several levels, including the international, regional, national, and sub-national levels, in the vast majority of nations worldwide. Policies that directly support adaptation and mitigation can be complemented and strengthened by policies at all levels that support technology development, dissemination, and transfer, as well as financing for climate change responses.
The institutionalization of processes for adaptation and mitigation activities would enhance common enabling elements serve as the foundation for both mitigation and adaptation strategies. These include environmentally friendly infrastructure and technological advancements, efficient institutions and governance, sustainable livelihoods, and lifestyle and behavioral decisions. Low-income developing countries are least equipped financially, technologically, and institutionally to follow low-carbon, climate-resilient development paths.
It is necessary to create new organizations and institutional arrangements that operate on several scales in order to undertake successful adaptation and mitigation strategies or to enhance the effectiveness of existing organizations through increased funding and resources. Additionally, promoting knowledge sharing and capacity building among different stakeholders can also play a crucial role in addressing the challenges of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Taking everything into account, the best scenario is for adaptation and mitigation to happen simultaneously and continually, without any gaps or implementation delays, guaranteeing a thorough and long-lasting strategy to combat climate change. However, successful mitigation actually requires multi-national agreements, which are becoming increasingly rare, and adaptation measures need to be customized to the unique risks and needs of each region. The success and affordability of adaptation and mitigation are still unanswered questions. Furthermore, it is difficult to respond to climate change quickly and effectively because many countries, cities, and towns have the mentality to only cross that bridge once we get there (Lawler et al., 2013). It is imperative to take action right away because waiting will just result in higher costs and more challenges in the future from this reactive strategy. Both adaptation and mitigation are required; the more adaptation we decide against today, the more we’ll need later, which will become increasingly ineffective. Consequently, in order to lower greenhouse gas emissions and adopt sustainable behaviors, governments and individuals alike must act immediately. We can lessen the future harm that climate change will do to our communities and environment by taking proactive measures to address it now.
References
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2024). Inventory of U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Sinks. Retrieved from: https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/inventory-us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-and-sinks, accessed 10 June 2024.
Fleming, W., Hayes, A. L., Crosman, K. M., & Bostrom, A. (2021). Indiscriminate, Irrelevant, and Sometimes Wrong: Causal Misconceptions about Climate Change. Risk analysis : an official publication of the Society for Risk Analysis, 41(1), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.13587
IPCC, (2014). Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [Core Writing Team, R.K. Pachauri and L.A. Meyer (eds.)]. IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 151 pp.
Lawler, J. J., Spencer, B., Olden, J. D., Kim, S. H., Lowe, C., Bolton, S., Beamon, B. M., Thompson, L., & Voss, J. G. (2013). Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies to Reduce Climate Vulnerabilities and Maintain Ecosystem Services. Climate Vulnerability, 315–335. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-384703-4.00436-6
UNECE (2024). United Nations adopts landmark global decarbonization strategy in transport by road, rail and inland waterway. Retrieved from: https://unece.org/climate-change/press/united-nations-adopts-landmark-global-decarbonization-strategy-transport-road, accessed 20 July 2022.
White, E. (2022). What is climate change adaptation and why is it a priority at COP27? World Economic Forum. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2022/10/climate-change-adaptation-cop27/, accessed 10 May 2024.