Adaptation Flashcards
What is adaptation?
Adaptation is the act of reducing the impacts of climate change through “defensive” policies: modifying the way society and politics work in order to not experience as big consequences
> More fancy answer: Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.
Is adaptation worth considering as a strategy? Why?
Yes, it is definitely a strategy to consider. It is better than to just stand and wait for climate change to happen
Illustrate graphically using Nordhaus two-crop example, the benefits of adaptation in agriculture in the face of an increasing temperature
Should we rather just focus on adaptation instead of mitigation?
NO. Mitigation should be top priority. But at this point we need both adaptation and mitigation
What is the relationship between adaptation and mitigation?
Some adaptation strategies exhibit synergies with mitigation
* employ crops more resistant to pests and droughts
* expand protected natural areas
* migrations
Some adaptation strategies run contrary to mitigation efforts
* water desalinization
* air conditioning
* more pesticides to increase agricultural yields
What are the main differences in features of adaptation and mitigation?
What are key problems/challenges connected to adaptation?
What are three examples of adaptation strategies?
3 examples of adaptation strategies:
* Urban land planning
* Public seed banks
* Managing migrations
What are stranded assets?
stranded assets are:
- when valued assets loose their value in inhabited land
- (=a premature devaluation of those assets although still functional)
What is managed retreat?
Managed retreat is thinking ahead: when you stop investing and maintaining assets, so you don’t loose as much capital, when the assets become stranded
At what temperature increase is massive migration expected?
Massive migrations are expected in case of +3^C or higher. Most of it will be within each country borders.
What can help to manage the displacement of people in consequence of climate change?
An internationally agreed definition of a climate refugee
How can massive migration effect receiving countries?
Massive migrations could disrupt politics of receiving countries
