Reducing climate risk: adaptation and vulnerability

The document outlines SEI's approach to climate adaptation, emphasizing that vulnerability is driven more by socioeconomic conditions than by climate exposure. It argues that adaptation and development are inextricably linked and that adaptation has inherent limits, meaning it cannot replace mitigation. The briefing also details SEI's global initiatives, such as the weADAPT platform and the Asia Adaptation Knowledge Platform, and identifies future research priorities including the role of gender, culture, and the private sector in adaptation.

• Vulnerability to climate change is primarily determined by dynamic socioeconomic and institutional conditions—such as poverty, governance stability, and the ability to secure new livelihoods—rather than simple exposure to climate hazards.
• Adaptation and development are deeply interconnected, and attempting to separate them can be counterproductive. There is a risk that climate finance requirements for 'climate-specific' projects may prioritize narrow technological fixes, like dikes, over addressing the broader drivers of vulnerability.
• Adaptation has natural and societal limits, making it impossible for adaptation to serve as a substitute for mitigation. Adaptation cannot protect against the most extreme long-term risks or restore natural systems once critical thresholds are crossed.
• Many existing tools for vulnerability assessment and adaptation identification are impractical because they require excessive resources and specialized training, and they cannot replace expert judgment.
• The Regional Climate Change Adaptation Knowledge Platform for Asia (AKP) supported research in 13 countries, including pilot projects in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam, though it struggled to fully mainstream adaptation into national policies.

APA

Stockholm Environment Institute (2014). Reducing climate risk: adaptation and vulnerability. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-RSB-2014-Climate-adaptation-vulnerability.pdf

Chicago

Stockholm Environment Institute. Reducing climate risk: adaptation and vulnerability. 2014. https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-RSB-2014-Climate-adaptation-vulnerability.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Stockholm Environment Institute |title=Reducing climate risk: adaptation and vulnerability |date=2014 |url=https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-RSB-2014-Climate-adaptation-vulnerability.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{stockholmenvironmentinstitute2014reducing, author = {{Stockholm Environment Institute}}, title = {{Reducing climate risk: adaptation and vulnerability}}, institution = {Stockholm Environment Institute}, year = {2014}, url = {https://www.sei.org/mediamanager/documents/Publications/Climate/SEI-RSB-2014-Climate-adaptation-vulnerability.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }