Adapting to climate change

© GIZ/Thomas Imo

Developing and emerging countries are particularly vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. GIZ supports partner countries in strengthening their adaptation capacity in order to increase their resilience.

With the Paris Climate Agreement of 2015, the international community committed itself to reducing global warming to clearly below 2 degrees (better 1.5 degrees Celsius). Adaptation to climate change is included in the agreement as an equal goal together with climate protection. However, climate change is already happening, so humans and ecosystems will have to adapt to the consequences.  Potential damage and losses, e. g. from floods, storms, droughts, heat waves, must be considered and reduced as effectively as possible through adaptation measures.

 On behalf of the German government, the EU, the Green Climate Fund (GCF) and other clients, GIZ supports its partners in strengthening their capacity to adapt - not only to climate change-related weather extremes, but also to gradual changes and risks, such as rising temperatures, water scarcity, or rising sea levels. GIZ's focus in advising governments, the private sector, and civil society aims at comprehensive climate risk management, cross-sectoral analysis and planning, and financing of adaptation measures, including climate risk insurance.But adaptation also means making use of the potential offered by climate change. This is the case, for example, with the targeted use of the changed climatic conditions for agricultural production or the development of new regions for tourism.

Adaptation measures have to be considered together with sustainable, fair and conflict-sensitive development. In this context, the effects of climate change must be taken into account systemically and holistically in all areas of society. National Adaptation Plans (NAPs) are an internationally recognized tool that builds on climate risk analyses to identify, prioritize, and implement necessary adaptation measures. The goal is the transformation to a climate-friendly and climate-adapted, resilient society and economy that ensures that no one is left behind.

The Paris agreements can only be fulfilled if all relevant actors - states, local governments, civil society and industry - work closely together and industrialized countries support developing countries financially and in terms of knowledge and technology transfer.  With this in mind, Germany, together with other countries, development banks and multilateral organizations, has launched several initiatives in developing countries to implement the Paris Agreement:

  • The global "NDC Partnership" promotes the coordinated implementation of national contributions to climate change mitigation and adaptation.
  • The “National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Global Network” promotes national adaptation planning through consultation, exchange, and coordination of donor programs.
  • Through the "InsuResilience" initiative, 500 million poor people are to have access to insurance against the consequences of extreme weather conditions by 2025.

 

Additional information