EVS

NASA
NASA is a world leader in climate studies and Earth
science. While its role is not to set climate policy or
prescribe particular responses or solutions to climate
change, its purview does include providing the robust
scientific data needed to understand climate change.
NASA then makes this information available to the global
community – the public, policy- and decision-makers and
scientific and planning agencies around the world.
Climate change is one of the most complex issues facing us today. It involves many dimensions – science, economics,
society, politics, and moral and ethical questions – and is a global problem, felt on local scales, that will be around for
thousands of years. Carbon dioxide, the heat-trapping greenhouse gas that is the primary driver of recent global
warming, lingers in the atmosphere for many thousands of years, and the planet (especially the ocean) takes a while
to respond to warming. So even if we stopped emitting all greenhouse gases today, global warming and climate
change will continue to affect future generations. In this way, humanity is “committed” to some level of climate change.
How much climate change?

That will be determined by how our emissions continue and exactly how our climate responds to those emissions.
Despite increasing awareness of climate change, our emissions of greenhouse gases continue on a relentless rise. In
2013, the daily level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
surpassed 400 parts per million for the first time in human history. The last time levels were that high was about three
to five million years ago, during the Pliocene Epoch.

Because we are already committed to some level of climate change, responding to climate change involves a two-
pronged approach:

1. Reducing emissions of and stabilizing the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
(“mitigation”);
2. Adapting to the climate change already in the pipeline (“adaptation”).
Mitigation and Adaptation
Mitigation – reducing climate change – involves
reducing the flow of heat-trapping greenhouse
gases into the atmosphere, either by reducing
sources of these gases (for example, the burning of
fossil fuels for electricity, heat, or transport) or
enhancing the
“sinks” that accumulate and store these gases (such as
the oceans, forests, and soil). The goal of mitigation is to
avoid significant human interference with Earth's climate
, “stabilize greenhouse gas levels in a timeframe
sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt naturally to
climate change, ensure that food production is not
threatened, and to enable economic development to
proceed in a sustainable manner” (from the
2014 report on Mitigation of Climate Change from the
United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
Change, page 4).
Adaptation
Adaptation – adapting to life in a changing climate – involves adjusting to actual or expected future climate.
The goal is to reduce our risks from the harmful effects of climate change (like sea-level rise, more intense extreme
weather events, or food insecurity). It also includes making the most of any potential beneficial opportunities
associated with climate change (for example, longer growing seasons or increased yields in some regions).

Throughout history, people and societies have adjusted to and coped with changes in climate and extremes with
varying degrees of success. Climate change (drought in particular) has been at least partly responsible for
the rise and fall of civilizations. Earth’s climate has been relatively stable for the past 10,000 years, and this stability
has allowed for the development of our modern civilization and agriculture. Our modern life is tailored to that stable
climate and not the much warmer climate of the next thousand-plus years. As our climate changes, we will need to
adapt. The faster the climate changes, the more difficult it will be.
NASA
LINK: https://climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/
source : worldwildlife

Climate change adaptation

If you grew up in Florida and suddenly relocated to North Dakota, you wouldn’t survive for long if you didn’t make a few
adjustments to your lifestyle. To start, you would need warmer clothes and to learn how to drive in icy conditions. In other words,
you would have to adapt to a new climate. In a warming world, however, you don’t have to move somewhere far away to
experience a different climate—a new climate is coming to you. Climate change affects where we can grow food, how much
water we have, and where we can build our homes. And we’ll face new challenges: firefighters will need to battle longer and more
intense forest fire seasons; our public health officials may need to manage diseases that are not currently a problem; and city
planners will need to encourage development away from areas we like to live, such as on coastlines and riverfronts.

Adaptation solutions vary from place to place, are difficult to predict, and involve many trade-offs. The first step to adapting to
climate change is understanding local risks and developing plans to manage them. The next step is taking action—putting
systems in place to respond to impacts we are experiencing today as we prepare for an uncertain tomorrow. These actions can
include diversifying crops that can tolerate warmer and drier or wetter conditions; ensuring infrastructure can withstand more
extreme weather; helping communities reduce their risk from sea level rise and increased floods; and making sure we manage
our food, water, and other natural resources wisely in the context of a changing climate.

WWF is also working to better understand how a changing climate impacts wildlife and finding ways to help them adapt.
Protecting wildlife—stopping poaching, curbing overfishing, and conserving habitats—is more important than ever with the added
pressures of climate change.
 Climate change mitigation
The mitigation piece of the puzzle is easy to explain, but difficult to accomplish. We must transition from powering our world with
fossil fuels to using clean, renewable energy. And we need to stop deforestation and restore our natural habitats until we reach
net-zero carbon emissions—meaning that the release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere is balanced with the capture and
storage of those gases in places like tree roots. Much like investing in a retirement fund, the sooner we act to mitigate the
impacts of climate change, the better off we’ll be in the future. So far, the world has been slow to act, but momentum is shifting.
WWF is one of many organizations, cities, and businesses committed to delivering on the promise of the Paris Climate
Agreement—signed by 195 global parties—to bring emissions down to levels required to keep warming in check.
WORLDWILDLIFE
LINK: https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-s-the-difference-between-climate-
change-mitigation-and-adaptation
SOURCE: WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE
5 Strategies that Achieve Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Simultaneously

Climate actions have often fallen into one of two strategies: mitigation efforts to lower or remove
greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere, and adaptation efforts to adjust systems and societies to
withstand the impacts of climate change. The separation has led to the misinformed view that addressing
climate change means pursuing either mitigation or adaptation.

This divide is counterproductive and dangerous, especially for coastal villages, farmers, small island nations
and other communities at the frontlines of climate impacts. The reality is that adaptation and mitigation are
two sides of the same coin. In fact, methods and technologies that both curb climate change and cope with
its impacts already exist.
1. Protect Coastal Wetlands

Salt marshes, mangroves and seagrasses are unique coastal ecosystems that serve as natural water filtration
systems and marine habitats. They defend coasts against sea level rise by buffering storm surges and
floodwaters, and store tons of carbon in their roots and soils. Mangrove forests currently hold the equivalent
of more than two years of global emissions, which would be released into the atmosphere and worsen the
effects of climate change if these forests are destroyed.

Increasing protected coastal wetlands and recovering about 40% of the ecosystem’s global coverage by 2050
could mitigate one gigaton of CO2 per year — over three years of emissions. Efforts to maintain coastal
wetlands must include local communities that rely on these ecosystems for their homes and livelihoods.
Countries like Fiji and Papua New Guinea have successful experiences around community-based
conservation and education to manage these wetlands and support the development of surrounding
communities.
2. Promote the Benefits of Sustainable Agroforestry

With land use changes from forestry and agriculture accounting for
nearly 25% of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, it’s clear that current land management schemes
need to change. Agroforestry practices integrate diverse trees or shrubs with crops and livestock. In
particular, pastures with trees can sequester five to 10 times more carbon than treeless areas of the same size.
Farmers can also be more productive by growing crops and raising livestock simultaneously using
significantly less land. Diversifying crops and including livestock on these lands can give farmers additional
sources of income and reduce the risks to livelihoods caused by climate change and unpredictable weather.
Expanding the use of this method to 554 million acres globally, estimated to require an investment of $41.6
billion, could help farmers realize $699 billion in financial gains from revenue diversification.
3. Decentralize Energy Distribution

Climate variability will negatively impact countries’ electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.
At the same time, development and population growth are increasing energy demand and usage. Centralized
energy systems — with large power plants and infrastructure connected over long distances — are more
vulnerable to climate change since disruptions at one point in the system can affect the entire network.

Decentralized systems — often powered by renewable energy, with shorter transmission lines and smaller
distribution areas — are more climate-resilient. In the event of a disaster, a community with its own
decentralized energy supply isn’t affected by power outages in other areas. Smaller, more manageable power
sources can also recover from disasters more rapidly. Low-carbon technologies such as solar panels and
batteries can also provide reliable, clean energy to critical services, like hospitals in remote areas that aren’t
already connected to the grid or experience frequent power outages.
4. Secure Indigenous Peoples’ Land Rights

Indigenous and local communities manage almost 50% of land on the planet, which up to 2.5 billion people
depend on for their livelihoods. These communities have practiced adaptation principles on their lands over
generations, developing a deep body of traditional knowledge that can help others understand how to adapt
to a changing environment.

What’s more, places where indigenous people have legal rights to their land have at least two times lower
deforestation rates than similar areas without secure tenure, as seen in Bolivia, Brazil and Colombia.
Indigenous people and local communities have protected forests that hold a quarter of all above-ground
carbon in tropical forests. Yet these communities legally own less than one-fifth of this land. 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.
5. Improve Mass Transit

Road transport accounts for 72% of global transportation-related emissions, a percentage which will
continue to grow unless more low-carbon transportation options become available and accessible.
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.

Expanding urban public transportation by 40% by 2050 could decrease the projected number of cars on the
road and avoid 6.6 gigatons of carbon emissions. Retrofitting and designing mass transit to withstand
climate risks such as natural disasters, sea level rise or extreme heat ensures these transport options are safe
and reliable in the long-term. These improvements can influence usage and better accommodate future
growth.
CONTINUE:

Cities like Rome and Buenos Aires have integrated additional adaptation measures like heat-proofing buses
and greening stops and routes to improve the commute experience. Increased public transportation also has
the added benefits of relieving traffic congestion, reducing accidents and fatalities, and improving air quality.
Prioritizing Climate Solutions that Multitask

These are just some examples of climate actions that address both adaptation and mitigation simultaneously.
Many others exist and can accommodate different sectors, ecosystems, countries and communities. The
climate crisis is massive and urgent. Given limited funding, resources and attention that can be allocated to
solving it, policymakers need to prioritize such integrated efforts.
WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE

LINK: https://www.wri.org/insights/5-strategies-achieve-climate-mitigation-and-
adaptation-simultaneously
 SOURCE: INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR IMPACT ASSESSMENT

CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION

OVERVIEW & HISTORY

Mitigation involves the reduction in emissions of any greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. Carbon dioxide is generally used as the base case to
which all other gases are compared, as is the case with carbon offset programmes. However, methane, for example, contributes to climate change much more per
molecule than carbon dioxide. Adaptation involves responding to the changes induced as a result of climate change. Adaptation can be reactive or anticipatory.
Where possible, anticipatory actions will provide the most cost-effective response to reduce risk. Impact assessment can play an important role in identifying both
potential contributions to greenhouse gas emissions and possible adaptation responses to climate change.

The contributions to and effects of climate change are by no means evenly distributed around the world. Prosperous countries are major contributors to greenhouse
gas emissions, particularly through transportation and energy production, whereas the impacts of climate change are frequently felt more strongly in developing
countries which may have less ability to respond to the changes. The magnitude of change also differs geographically with polar regions experiencing the greatest
amount of change in the physical environment.

EIA, both project-related and strategic, and HIA are used globally as tools to assess climate impacts on projects and policy/programmes, as well as the effects on
climate on populations and communities. They represent one of the few standardized global tools available to incorporate the effects of climate change into design
of projects, programmes and policies by forecasting the resulting changes of baseline and future conditions. At the same time, the methodology of the impact
assessment process must evolve to better incorporate these climate change-related environmental impacts.
Historically, environmental health concerns have focused on toxicological or microbiological risks to health from local exposures. However, the scale
of environmental health problems is increasing as a result of climate change, and various larger-scale environmental hazards to human population
health have begun to appear. Changes in the IA methodology to incorporate climate change need to begin within different jurisdictions and different
climate regimes in a consistent way. At the same time regulatory bodies, governments and IFIs need to support and monitor these evaluations and be
ready to incorporate them in their assessment and evaluation processes. Revision to and evaluation of IA methodology should include key risk
analysts from, for example, real estate, bank and insurance industries to ensure that risk assessment methodologies conform to industry standards.

The IA methodology can be summarized generically into:

● issue scoping,
● selection of valued environmental/socio-economic components and indicators,
● assessment of impacts,
● quantification of significant impacts,
● development of mitigation and effects monitoring plans,
● reporting of residual impacts and conclusions.
Terminology may differ but these basic elements, including the quantification of impacts and determination of significance, are common world-wide.
This provides a consistent framework for the evaluation of environmental and socio-economic impacts associated with environmental change.

To date, incorporating climate change into the EIA process has focused on identification of mitigation elements within the project or programme scope
and potential effects of climate change on the physical foundation of the project or programme. Since mitigation has been an accepted requirement
for policy and project review globally following the general adoption of the Kyoto Protocol, most EIA jurisdictions require some identification of how
the project or programme will affect GHG emissions. A number of guides are available to assist in formulation of GHG contributions from various
types of projects, with the UK and Australia providing good templates. However, the requirement for adaptation to climate change as a current reality
is a more recent issue with less clear guidance, especially for mainstreaming of the issue.
WORLD WIDE
A World Bank View (Burton and Aalst, 1999)1:

A highly vulnerable system would be one that is highly sensitive to modest changes in climate, and one for which the ability to adapt is severely
constrained. Projects include those where direct impacts of climate change may affect the viability of the project itself, or projects where
consideration of climate change should be incorporated to avoid risks. Examples of vulnerable projects include coastal infrastructure, large hydro
plants, or agriculture vulnerable to drought. Projects where risk could be reduced include agricultural research designed to increase output or
irrigation projects – these projects may not be vulnerable themselves, but can be used to reduce vulnerability of the sector. Education and health
projects were excluded, because such a broad definition would include almost all projects.

Climate change issues identified:

● low lying coastal lands periodically inundated by sea water driven inland by cyclonic storms (Bangledesh, Papua New Guinea)
● small size and limited portfolio (Samoa)
● floods and flash floods (Guyana, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe)
● drought (Bangledesh, Papua New Guinea, Zimbabwe)
● El Niño (Ecuador, Guyana)
● rigid sea defenses (Guyana)
LINK: https://www.iaia.org/wiki-details.php?ID=6