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Preparing for the worst: Climate change adaptation
Desertification in Tibet, photo by Bernt Rostad (source: Flickr Creative Commons)
Inevitable changes in climate mean the vulnerable must adapt or suffer the worst consequences of climate change. Even climate skeptic Lord Lawson, who is not convinced that human activity is the main cause for climate change, supports aiding poorer, vulnerable countries to prepare for and deal with coming adversities. In a CNN ‘climate change debate’ with Lawson, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai agreed that poor countries must prepare for the worst and should not expect agreements at COP15 to solve coming problems associated with global warming.
‘Africans will have to work very hard to deal with very harsh climates anyway, because we know that the desert is expanding, there is a scramble for the Congo forest, for example, we know the rivers are drying up. So whatever happens, it is good that the Africans this time are very united and they are working very hard.’
–Wangari Maathai (source: CNN.com)
According to this BBC News report, ‘Developed countries are discussing a so-called climate adaption fund at the UN summit in Copenhagen,’ which would aid the countries most vulnerable to climate change, such as Bangladesh. The Bangladeshi environment minister estimates that ’20 million Bangladeshis will be displaced if the sea rose by a metre’. Furthermore, the government of India put out this press release on December 7th addressing studies regarding adaptation to climate change in that country. The government of the Philippines is also lending its voice to the cause of vulnerable developing countries at the Copenhagen summit.
houseboats in the Netherlands, photo by Elin B (source: Flickr Creative Commons)
Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen includes climate change adaption or adaptation in what he calls the ‘two step approach’. Financing adaptation in poor countries would partly come from rich nations. Read more on this subject in Time Magazine‘s ’5 Things to Watch for at the Copenhagen Climate-Change Conference’ article.
But it isn’t just developing countries that are thinking about climate change adaptation/adaption. According to this Irish Times article the Netherlands are at the forefront of preparations. The low lying country is investing billions of euros in more dykes, pumps, levies and floating houses to get ready for rising sea levels.
It may sound like a cop-out sot some or pessimistic to others, but to many people and countries, adaption is a must-do if they are to avoid the most catastrophic effects of climate change.
By Graham Land
Additional resources:
24dash.com – ‘Most communities untouched by benefits of climate adaptation, TCPA Chief Planner tells Commons evidence session’
TheParliament.com – Cost of climate change adaptation will be ‘huge’, conference told
Tags: adaptation, adaption, climate change, copenhagen, countries, poor
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