The document discusses the concept of adaptation to climate change, outlining its importance, types, and the process involved in implementing adaptation strategies. It emphasizes the need to address the varying impacts of climate change, particularly on vulnerable communities, and highlights the interplay between adaptation and development. The document also includes case studies, notably focusing on enhancing the adaptive capacity of women in Bangladesh to cope with climate-induced challenges.

1. Adaptation-101
M. FEISAL RAHMAN
19 DECEMBER 2020

2. Session Plan
 What is adaptation and the process for
implementing adaptation?
 What are the different types of adaptation
 How is adaptation different from conventional
development?
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3. Two Policy Response to Climate Change
Mitigation - Reducing greenhouse gas emissions in order to slow or
stop global climate change, i.e. using the car less, burning less fossil fuel,
afforestation
Adaptation - Adjusting to the impacts of climate change to reduce the
negative impacts and harness any opportunities, i.e. building sea walls,
changing cropping pattern
Source: Adaptation Scotland
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Brown and Sovacool suggest: mitigation is “avoiding the unmanageable” whereas adaptation is
“managing the unavoidable.”

4. Why is Adaptation Important?
 Already “committed” to changing climate
 Poor and marginal communities in the developing world are the
most vulnerable
 Growing urban populations are at highest risk
 Costs of recovering from disasters is increasing
 Climate change can set back development a generation or more
Source: USAID UCCAR 2016
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5. The Adaptation
Process
The adaptation process consists of Five
stages
Source: Adaptation Scotland
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6. Getting started
This stage of the process includes:
 Finding out about the impacts of climate change
 Understanding why the impacts of climate change matter
 Raising awareness and agreeing next steps
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Source: Adaptation Scotland
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7. Understand the impacts of climate change
This stage of the process includes:
 Learning about past climate trends and future projections
 Understanding how your place, assets, services or priorities have been
affected by severe weather events in the past
 Considering how your place, assets, services or priorities might be
affected as our climate continues to change
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Source: Adaptation Scotland
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8. Identify and prioritise actions
This stage of the process includes:
 Establishing a vision for a climate ready future
 Identifying the most significant climate risks
 Identifying existing adaptation options
 Examining what further action is needed
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Source: Adaptation Scotland 8

9. Take action
This stage of the process includes:
 Partnership working and leadership
 Collating and presenting your adaptation actions
 Building adaptive capacity
 Implementing on the ground actions
 Telling others
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Source: Adaptation Scotland
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10. Monitor, review and evaluate
This stage of the process includes:
 Monitoring and reporting progress
 Reviewing regularly
 Reflecting on what has worked and why
 Evaluating the outcomes
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Source: Adaptation Scotland 10

11. Types of Adaptation
 Spontaneous/ autonomous/ reactive adaptations
o to cope with gradual changes in climate system
o either unconscious or automatic reactions to climatic perturbation
o or conscious responses to variations in climate that are part of the routine functioning of a
system, or responses requiring a behavioural change
 Anticipatory/ Planned/ proactive
o strategically anticipates and strives to avoid the effects of future undesired changes
Ahmed et al. 1999
Biagini, B., Bierbaum, R., Stults, M., Dobardzic, S., & McNeeley, S. M. (2014). A typology of adaptation actions: A global look at climate adaptation actions
financed through the Global Environment Facility. Global Environmental Change, 25, 97-108. (check for multiple other typology of adaptation)
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12. Anticipatory Adaptation
1. Bear losses- basically doing nothing and accepting ‘suffering’ to climate change
2. Share losses- provide subsidies to people living in vulnerable areas, or to increase taxes for those living in protected areas. Also
crop loss insurance or homestead insurance etc.
3. Modify the threat- switching to alternative cropping patterns, improving early warning systems, or erecting breakwaters in an
island to safeguard tourism.
4. Prevent the effect- building embankments to prevent flooding, or constructing flood control infrastructure.
5. Change use- switching from rice to growing shrimp or aquaculture in areas suffering saltwater intrusion.
6. Change location- for example, relocating people or activities away from harm, such as the establishment of flood evacuation
centers, provision of boats for refugees, or providing climate migrants with new housing and land.
7. Restoration- restoring ecosystems or other infrastructure to their original conditions following climate-related damage.
Sovacool 2018; Ahmed et al. 1999
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13. Exercise
Sovacool 2018
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14. Types of Real-world Adaptation Activities
Biagini et al. 2014; Nasir et al. 2018
Infrastructure
69%
Comprehensive
disaster
management
1%
Capacity building
and institutional
strengthening
2%
Research and
knowledge
management
4%
Food security,
social protection
and health
10%
Mitigation and
low-carbon
development
14%
BCCTF Funding Distribution
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15. Is it Adaptation or Development?
Adaptation
“Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects,
which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.”(IPCC 2007). Adaptation is a process, not an
outcome.
Development
The pursuit or attainment of well-being in all its dimensions, including economic sufficiency, social equity,
personal security, good health, opportunity, and personal freedom.
“The question has bedevilled the adaptation policy community for well over a decade”
(Hammill and Mcgray 2018)
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16. Climate Change
Impacts,
Vulnerability and
Development
Linkages
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17. (McGray et al. 2007)
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18.  The continuum shows the diverse and
complex features of adaptation
 Sharp distinctions between “adaptation” and
“development” was not necessarily helpful or
reflective of ground reality
 The continuum highlights fundamental links
to poverty reduction, institutional
strengthening, risk management and, in some
contexts, transformation
 Investments in “traditional development” is
just as important—in some cases, more
important—than investments in activities that
appeared to focus explicitly on addressing
climate impacts
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(McGray et al. 2007)

19. Adaptation vs Development
McGray et al. (2007) concluded:
“Rarely do adaptation efforts entail activities not found in the development toolbox.
The uniquely adaptive elements of most efforts are those involved in defining problems,
selecting strategies, and setting priorities – not in implementing solutions”
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20. Enhancing Adaptive Capacities of Coastal
Communities, Especially Women, to Cope with
Climate Change Induced Salinity
Government of Bangladesh/UNDP – GCF Proposal
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21. Bangladesh Case Study
Enhancing Women and Girls Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change in Bangladesh (FP032)
 The project objective is to enhance the adaptive capacity of women and adolescent girls (and by
extension, their families), who are in extreme poverty, in six districts that are constantly exposed to
cyclones, tidal flooding and salinity.
 Specifically, GCF resources will be used to enable the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs
(MoWCA) to implement investment activities in the context of a national initiative that will empower
targeted vulnerable women and girls to rise above their current economic and social abilities with
the aim of reducing vulnerability to climate change for themselves and the communities that they
belong to.
 Specifically, GCF financing will also be used to roll out a social protection programme that specifically
promotes climate-resilient livelihoods. Resources will also be used to effect a significant expansion of
safe drinking water supply in response to diminishing supplies as climate change compounds
existing pressures on water resources.
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22. The Original Proposal- FP032
 Technical Advisory Panel comments included:
o Climate attribution of the project was not clear
o Technical design of the project received criticism in particular design of the
rain-water harvesting tanks and the cash transfer component
o Lacked adequate consultation with stakeholders and not having the right
partners
 Board members agreed this was a necessary project, board members got divided
over the issue of adaptation vs development
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23. Bangladesh Case Study- FP032/FP69
 Enhancing adaptive capacities of coastal
communities, especially women, to cope with
climate change induced salinity (FP069)
 The key objective of the proposed project is to
support the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) in
strengthening the adaptive capacities of coastal
communities, especially women, to cope with
impacts of climate change-induced salinity on their
livelihoods and water security.
 GCF resources will be combined with GoB co-
financing to address information, technical, financial
and institutional barriers to implementing and
managing resilient livelihoods and drinking water
solutions for the vulnerable communities in the
Southwestern coastal districts of Khulna and Satkhira.
 Enhancing Women and Girls Adaptive Capacity to Climate
Change in Bangladesh (FP032)
 The project objective is to enhance the adaptive capacity of
women and adolescent girls (and by extension, their
families), who are in extreme poverty, in six districts that are
constantly exposed to cyclones, tidal flooding and salinity.
 Specifically, GCF resources will be used to enable the Ministry
of Women and Children Affairs (MoWCA) to implement
investment activities in the context of a national initiative that
will empower targeted vulnerable women and girls to rise
above their current economic and social abilities with the aim
of reducing vulnerability to climate change for themselves
and the communities that they belong to.
 Specifically, GCF financing will also be used to roll out a
social protection programme that specifically promotes
climate-resilient livelihoods. Resources will also be used to
effect a significant expansion of safe drinking water supply in
response to diminishing supplies as climate change
compounds existing pressures on water resources.
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24. Cyclone and SLR
induced Saltwater
intrusion into
freshwater
resources
• - Increased salinity of soils
• - Direct damage of
crops/productivity
• - Preventing expansion of
agriculture in the coastal region
• - Decreasing freshwater fish stocks
- Increased salinity of ground and
surface water sources;
- Drinking water quality deteriorating
beyond limit of potable use Water
supply infrastructure damage;
Key Climate Change Impacts – Coastal Communities
Agricultural livelihoods: Income loss, loss of
livelihoods
Growing drinking water insecurity - adverse
health impacts, Opportunity costs of time
WOMEN and GIRLS DISPOROPTIONATELY
AFFECTED
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25. Salinity Drivers
Salinity intrusion
 Sea-level rise
 Rainfall variability
 Cyclones and storm surge
Climatic drivers
Non-climatic
drivers
 Upstream flow decrease
 Shrimp farming and other
development activities
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26. Salinity trends and projections
2
6
Projected changes in river Salinity due to
changes in rainfall, temperature,
subsidence and SLR (2012 vs 2050)
Observed expansion and increases in
Soil Salinity (1973-2009)
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27.  This case study reflects the confusion and debate around issue “adaptation
vs development” are far from being resolved especially since 2007 several
climate funds have become operational and more resources are available!!!
 “The relationship between the activity and the context—the adaptation logic
or justification—must be clearly articulated by those seeking funding and
other forms of support”
Hammill and McGray (2018)
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28. So, the authors looked back on the continuum and
tried to capture lessons since 2007
 “Adaptation or development” is not an either-or choice
 Understanding the climate risk context is the crux of adaptation
 We need to keep the full spectrum of adaptation options on the table
 Adaptation often requires simultaneous work at multiple points on the continuum
 Long-term success means abandoning the “adaptation vs development” function of the
continuum
Hammill and Mcgray (2018) argued:
“Fully integrating adaptation into development is among the most transformational
processes we could wish for in the climate change space”
Hammill and McGray (2018)
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29. Thank you
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30. 30
Sovacool 2018