Regarding human responses to climate change, both adaptation and mitigation efforts are necessary. According to a study published in Habitat International, significant changes in our global climate cannot be avoided at this point (Hamin et al, 2008). This fact highlights the importance of adaptive action. Adaptation is meant to minimize the impacts of unavoidable outcomes due to climate change. NASA provides examples of this which include “building flood defenses, planning for heatwaves and higher temperatures, and improving water storage and use” (NASA, 2020).

On the other hand, mitigation efforts seek to continue the work of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. In a way, these actions support adaption because, according to the same study, unmitigated climate change would likely overshoot our ability to adapt by any successful measure. The oceans, forests, and soil act as sinks that store greenhouse gases. An example of mitigation would be supporting the capacity of these sinks such as by ensuring the intactness of large swaths of forests. Whereas adaptation supports present needs, mitigation addresses the future (NASA, 2020).

We should treat both as stepping stones towards resiliency. This is described by the IPCC as “the ability to absorb disturbances, to be changed and then to reorganize and still have the same identity or retain the same basic structure and ways of functioning” (Hamin et al, 2008). Therefore, I do not believe one should be more important than the other in general. Knowing that we will see impacts even for the lowest stabilization scenarios assessed, adaptation is necessary; and to ensure the scenarios do not worsen, mitigation is necessary.

Sometimes there are conflicts between the two. On a case by case basis, it is possible for adaptation to have more immediacy. We know that low-income populations are more at-risk of suffering from climate change. According to a report by the UN, poor and marginalized people around the world are more likely to live in low-elevation coastal zones and reside in areas or dwellings that are not capable of withstanding climate-related disasters (UN, 2016). These specific instances require quick adaptive measures. I believe the work of mitigation should be mostly directed towards communities who are less vulnerable and have the actual capacity to look towards the future, since many others do not have the privilege of doing so.

Read more about climate change mitigation here.

Hamin, E.M. & Gurran, N. (2008). Urban form and climate change: Balancing adaptation and mitigation in the U.S. and Australia. Habitat International, 33(3), 238-245. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2008.10.005 

NASA (2020). “Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation.” NASA, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved from: www.climate.nasa.gov/solutions/adaptation-mitigation/

United Nations (2016). “Report: Inequalities Exacerbate Climate Impacts on Poor – United Nations Sustainable Development.” United Nations, United Nations – Sustainable Development Goals. Retrieved from: www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/10/report-inequalities-exacerbate-climate-impacts-on-poor