Mitigation and adaptation: Two essential ways to address the planetary crisis

In my previous article, I shared my intention to dedicate time and energy to the topic of climate adaptation and natural disasters. There are many resources out there, from scientific reports to policy documents related to how countries are developing their own climate adaptation strategy.. To make this important topic more accessible, I decided to summarise my learnings in a series of easy-to-understand articles, stories, and case studies.

Let’s start with understanding two of the main ways in which we can actively tackle the climate crisis: climate mitigation and adaptation. 

Mitigation and adaptation: Understanding the main differences

If you are passionate about ways to counteract the climate crisis, then there is a strong chance that you might have heard of climate mitigation and adaptation.

But do you know, exactly, what these two concepts refer to? There are many definitions out there, and most reports use the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a reference. To simplify it, though,, I’d like to use a metaphor:

Imagine you are on a boat that’s sinking. Water is pouring in from a leak, and you need to act fast to stay afloat. The most important thing you should do is find a way to seal the leak to avoid more water coming in. This strategy is called mitigation, and it addresses the root cause of the problem. 

After that, you can grab a bucket and get rid of the water that poured in through the hole and is threatening to sink your boat. Adaptation is the response we have to address the effect of the problem.

Let’s now apply this metaphor to the topic of climate crisis. In this context, mitigation is about reducing emissions and enhancing the sinks that sequester and store greenhouse gases. Adaptation, on the other hand, is what we do to adjust to the effects of climate change so that we can live with it and minimise the destruction, injustice, and suffering.

Here is an easy overview of the main differences between the two strategies that I outlined:

It’s important to note, however, that some interventions, such as water conservation, education and nature-based solutions (wetland restoration, etc.) address both strategies.

Now that we better understand these two concepts, I would like you to take away some further facts from this brief article. 

1. Mitigation comes first

Remember the boat metaphor? If we don’t want our boat to sink, we need to seal the leak as quickly as possible. Similarly, if we don’t want the current climate crisis to escalate even more dangerously, we must demand prompt action right now 

We can try to adapt as much as possible, but if we don’t address the root cause and fix the hole in our boat, we will sink. Understanding the real, root cause of the climate crisis can be a good starting point.

Maybe, it’s not the single leak but the way the boat was produced in the first place that is causing it to sink. In parallel, we could argue that an economic system that values growth and profit above all else is probably more damaging than an individual plastic straw.

It might feel overwhelming to tackle this task, but you should know that you are not alone. Get involved, spread the word, demand action, and take action. If you don’t know where to start, here is an article that helps you start a conversation within your company. 

But be sure to do the same in your private life, too:Climate Optimist website is a wonderful source of inspiration.

2. Let’s get prepared

You probably hear every day about extreme weather events: floods, storms, heat waves, and fire, to name but a few. The consequences of the climate crisis are here and they will keep getting worse in the foreseeable future. 

As Henry Neufeldt, chief editor of the United Nations Environment Program’s Adaptation Gap Report, puts it: “Adaptation is necessary even if we stopped emissions today.”

But we don’t hear (or know) enough about how we can prepare our families, communities, and businesses to deal with these adverse events. How we can take the learnings from the Global South, which has already been disproportionately affected by the climate crisis, and use them in our context? How can we make sure climate adaptation is just and equitable?

Different needs for different goals

Let’s imagine a woman called Karima. Her needs would change considerably based on where she lives and whether she is focused on climate mitigation or adaptation. The following table shows how four areas of her life would be impacted. 

It becomes clear that her needs are very different and that she might require a range of products, services, or initiatives to meet those changing needs.

There can be synergies between the different goals, but I’m convinced we need more awareness on the topic of climate adaptation. Only by preparing proactively can we design inclusive and just products and services that fulfil the requirements of citizens across the globe.
When we adapt reactively, we are under pressure and take quick decisions that don’t consider certain groups and impacts, leaving them potentially even more vulnerable whilst preventing us from getting closer to our end goals.

If there is one thing I would like you to take for this article, it’s the fact that it’s not enough to focus on getting us to net-zero. We are in a mess, and the best time to adapt is now. If you want to understand how you can adapt and become resilient as an individual, check out IMMA. If you want to explore how to adapt as an organisation, get in touch.