Adapting to the consequences of climate change – but doing it right!

We are currently experiencing an unprecedented global climate crisis, which has become significantly more acute in recent decades. The impacts affect us all – here and now. Yet even if greenhouse gas emissions were to stop completely, a further increase in temperature would be unavoidable. The greenhouse gases already emitted will continue to affect the atmosphere for many decades to come. We therefore need both: climate protection and adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The Austrian Adaptation Strategy identifies a wide range of necessary actions and measures in 14 different fields of activity.

Well thought out, planned and implemented

The impacts of climate change affect many different sectors, which are often closely interconnected. The possibilities for adaptation are diverse and range from awareness-raising measures on appropriate behaviour during heatwaves, to more green spaces in cities, to technical structures designed to protect against natural hazards. When planning and implementing measures, those involved repeatedly consider similar questions, such as: Does the measure achieve a sufficient and long-term effect? Does its implementation have negative impacts on the environment or other areas, or is it in conflict with climate protection?

Good Adaptation Practice

For adaptation measures to be successful, they therefore need to be well thought out, planned and implemented. Good adaptation practice goes hand in hand with the goals of Sustainable Development and climate protection. To achieve this, six guiding principles are available:

GOOD ADAPTATION IS …

1. Systemically effective

• it increases resilience and builds adaptive capacity
• it avoids shifting or exacerbating existing vulnerabilities
• it takes into account interactions, trade-offs and systemic risks arising from gradual changes or climate risks

2. Ecologically sustainable and emissions-reducing

• it preserves or promotes biodiversity and relies on nature-based solutions
• it preserves or improves the functioning of ecosystems
• it reduces resource consumption in the long term
• it avoids additional greenhouse gas emissions or reduces them

3. Socially just and participatory

• it is socially balanced or contributes to reducing inequalities through fair distribution of costs
• it takes into account the specific needs of vulnerable groups
• it ensures transparent communication and the involvement of relevant stakeholders

4. Economically sustainable

• it takes into account the costs of inaction
• it prioritises measures based on long-term costs and benefits
• it uses public funds transparently, in the public interest and with long-term effectiveness

5. Clearly governed and institutionally anchored for the long term

• it has clear responsibilities, decision-making powers and sufficient resources
• it is actively supported by the responsible decision-makers
• it is permanently accompanied by a continuous responsible body or person (stewardship function)
• it ensures coordination between relevant stakeholders and levels

6. Forward-looking, proactive, adaptive and integrated into processes

• it considers measures at an early stage and implements them in a timely manner
• it takes into account the entire planning and life cycle of measures
• it is based on sound data, local knowledge and climate scenarios
• it includes monitoring, evaluation and systematic learning
• it can be managed flexibly and takes the limits of adaptation into account

Adaptation processes that are guided by the principles outlined above avoid high monetary, social and environmental follow-up costs that can result from inadequate or misguided adaptation. At the same time, they open up new opportunities and make it possible to make targeted use of existing potential.

As the impacts of climate change affect many areas and sectors, it is particularly important to take a holistic approach to measures in line with good adaptation practice and to leverage synergies. Nature-based solutions demonstrate this particularly well: they fulfil several functions simultaneously and provide additional benefits for the environment and society.

Avoiding Maladaptation

For successful and effective adaptation, avoiding maladaptation is established as a key objective in the Austrian Adaptation Strategy. For example, in order to avoid spontaneous maladaptation as an immediate reactive response to the impacts of climate change, it is necessary, as part of the planning and implementation of measures, to consider how such maladaptation can be prevented. Long periods of use, such as those associated with the construction of infrastructure or forestry, also underscore the need to avoid maladaptation. Measures must already be designed and implemented today in such a way that they are prepared for climatic conditions 30, 50 or more years from now.

While guidelines and handbooks are available for the development of adaptation strategies and action plans, there are currently only a few approaches that systematically address the prevention of maladaptation and provide guidance for assessing how to avoid maladaptation and achieve good adaptation. Therefore, initial considerations and ideas have been developed on how maladaptation can be avoided and how high-quality, good adaptation can be ensured throughout the entire adaptation process based on the criteria already available.