Mitigation and Adaptation

From the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change:

Mitigation: An anthropogenic intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases. 

Adaptation: Adjustment in natural or human systems to a new or changing environment. Adaptation to climate change refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. 

From Nico Stehra and Hans von Storchb:

Mitigation represents activities to protect nature from society, while adaptation constitutes ways of protecting society from nature.

Image After: Penney, J., 2008, "Emerging Climate Change Adaptation Strategies (pdf)," Clean Air Parnership

• print