Climate Change Adaptation in the News

The COVID-19 pandemic has tragically exposed the risks humanity faces and how unprepared we are to respond. People’s health, well-being, and livelihoods are all affected. These threats are multiplied by the growing impacts of the climate crisis — more extreme storms, droughts, heat waves, food crises, and diseases — which have not stopped. Vulnerable populations are hit hardest: The pandemic could drive 100 million more people into extreme poverty by the end of this year.As the world responds, it must build back better. We can return to the old way of doing things or we can get on a new path, one that makes human society more resilient, more equitable, healthier, and stronger. These goals are interconnected and investments in the recovery should address multiple challenges. We must seize the opportunity to transform how we understand, plan, finance, and respond to risks. We must integrate climate resilience into decisions at all levels of government and by businesses, communities, and households, with particular focus on resilience in infrastructure and financial decisions. Innovative investment in research and development and finance can help countries deliver new solutions to both the pandemic and climate crises. Since COVID-19 is a zoonotic disease, we must meet it and similar threats by protecting the basic human right to a safe and healthy environment. We have the opportunity to act now, but the window is short. Governments worldwide are investing more than $10 trillion this year alone in crisis relief, after which accumulated debt may reduce the ability of governments to address urgent needs. Yet, to date, most stimulus packages have not sufficiently incorporated climate resilience into their recovery plans. This must change. Investing in climate resilience is smart economics. According to the Global Commission on Adaptation’s flagship Adapt Now report, adaptation investments consistently deliver high returns, with benefit-cost ratios ranging from 2:1 to 10:1. We need to invest in economic activities that will create jobs, protect communities and natural ecosystems, and be durable in the face of our changing world. Adaptation often creates more jobs per dollar spent than more traditional investment, with superior local benefits. We must act now, not wait for the next crisis to hit. Investing in climate resilience is better and less costly than waiting until after a disaster strikes. Early preparedness and prevention saves lives. Over the long run, inclusive, sustainable, and equitable economies are more robust. Now is the time for global solidarity. As UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently said, solidarity is not only a moral imperative, it is in everyone’s interests. Demonstrating global solidarity with the world’s poorest and most vulnerable can prevent more deaths from COVID-19, reduce the longer-term impacts on livelihoods and economies, address underlying human rights issues, and lower risks from the climate crisis and future shocks. Commitments to the UN response appeal have been increasing but are still insufficient. Support has been directed more toward larger economies than to places