The paper concludes with a cautionary note that adaptation is not a panacea. It should not be the only strategy considered for the reduction of risks posed by climate change. Adaptation comes at a cost and society has limited resources to devote to this activity. Also, there are uncertainties associated with the effectiveness of any adaptive response. Any portfolio of climate change policies sh...

The capacity to collect and analyze massive amounts of data is transforming research in the natural and social sciences (1). And yet, the climate change adaptation community has largely overlooked these developments. Here, we examine how “big data” can inform adaptation research and decision-making and outline what’s needed from the adaptation community to maximize this opportunity. We contend ...

Climate change adaptation is increasingly being mainstreamed into all types of organizations across the world. A large number intergovernmental (IGOs), such as European Union, World Bank, or Food and Agriculture Organization, have already started to mainstream adaptation. Yet, despite a surge in scholarly interest climate policy integration over past decade, still predominantly studied local is...

This paper discusses the implications of climate change for official transfers from rich countries (the North) to poor countries (the South). The concern is no longer just about poverty alleviation (i.e. income in the South), but also about global emissions and resilience to climate risk. Another implication is that traditional development transfers to increase income are complemented by new fi...

Human-induced climate change will affect the lives of most populations in the next decade and beyond. It will have greatest, and generally earliest, impact on the poorest and most disadvantaged populations on the planet. Changes in climatic conditions and increases in weather variability affect human wellbeing, safety, health and survival in many ways. Some impacts are direct-acting and immedia...

Given that increasing migration has been addressed as a major consequence of climate change, a growing number of scholars suggest that the planned relocation of people or Government Resettlement Projects (GRPs) should be included in climate change adaptation. This paper reviews the status of climate change and environmentally induced migration in China, and then presents an empirical case study...

"How far are we in implementing climate change and health action in the WHO European Region?" This was the question addressed to representatives of WHO European Member States of the working group on health in climate change (HIC). Twenty-two Member States provided answers to a comprehensive questionnaire that focused around eight thematic areas (Governance; Vulnerability, impact and adaptation ...