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14 - National Climate Change Adaptation Case Study: Early Adaptation to Climate Change through Climate-Compatible Development and Adaptation Pathways

from Cities and Industry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 October 2021

By
Tim Capon ,
Mark Stafford Smith  and
Russell Wise
Edited by
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin ,
Mark Howden ,
Michael H. Smith ,
Karen Hussey  and
Peter J. Dawson
Kenneth G. H. Baldwin
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Mark Howden
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Michael H. Smith
Affiliation:
Australian National University, Canberra
Karen Hussey
Affiliation:
University of Queensland
Peter J. Dawson
Affiliation:
P. J. Dawson & Associates
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Summary

This chapter describes four case studies – three from Australia and one from rural Indonesia – that build the argument that to enhance the potential for multiple benefits, climate adaptation needs to be integrated into development and planning processes. The case studies demonstrate (1) the early benefits from adaptation to coastal inundation, (2) the importance of considering the distribution of costs and benefits across communities, (3) the low-regrets nature of some early adaptation actions and (4) the synergies between adaptation measures and sustainable development. By demonstrating the multiple benefits of climate adaptation, case studies like these have stimulated thinking about climate adaptation in terms of adaptation pathways and climate-compatible development. Early adaptation creates resilience by maintaining diversity, flexibility and adaptability – factors that enable people to benefit from future opportunities. Adaptation pathways approaches help stakeholders better understand how adaptation can address the systemic drivers of vulnerability and how to integrate adaptation into broader planning approaches.

Keywords

Adaptation pathwayscoastal inundationAustraliaIndonesiacosts benefitsresilienceCSIROsustainable development
Type
Chapter
Information
Transitioning to a Prosperous, Resilient and Carbon-Free Economy
A Guide for Decision-Makers
 , pp. 365 - 388
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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