Adapting to Climate Change: A Challenge and Opportunity

This research paper by Saleemul Huq for the World Resources Institute argues that current global and national decision-making processes are inadequate to handle the uncertainty, scale, and complexity of climate change. The author advocates for a paradigm shift from reactive disaster management to proactive disaster preparedness and suggests that wealthier nations and decision-makers can learn effective adaptation strategies from the poorest countries and grassroots communities.

• Current decision-making processes at both global and national levels are insufficient to address the long-term nature, uncertainty, and complexity of climate change impacts, necessitating a change in how decisions are made and implemented.
• There is a critical need to shift from a reactive 'disaster management' approach, which responds after events occur, to a proactive 'disaster preparedness' or 'disaster risk reduction' model.
• While humanity has historically adapted to climatic variability, adaptation to climate change (ACC) is distinct because it involves longer-term and slow-onset hazards, such as sea level rise and increasing salinity in low-lying coasts, which are not typically covered by standard disaster management.
• Climate change will necessitate 'planned re-location' or 'assisted migration' for communities in areas that can no longer sustain life, such as certain highlands, drylands, and low-lying coasts. This represents a new global responsibility, as current international and national systems are not prepared for climate-induced migration.
• Adaptation to climate change differs from traditional development by requiring a strong science-orientation to keep pace with evolving climate data and a systemic effort to build climate literacy among all stakeholders, including students and graduates.
• Wealthier nations and global decision-makers can learn from the experiences of the poorest countries and communities, specifically regarding the implementation of National Adaptation Plans of Action (NAPAs) and Community Based Adaptation (CBA) strategies.
• The author provides a comparative example of cyclone response: Bangladesh significantly reduced deaths from Cyclone Sidr (2007) compared to a 1991 cyclone through cyclone shelters and early warning systems, whereas Myanmar suffered over 140,000 deaths during Cyclone Nargis due to a lack of government preparation.

APA

Huq, S. (2010). Adapting to Climate Change: A Challenge and Opportunity. World Resources Institute. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-1-response-2.pdf?VersionId=wHN3NGt1ENmub1cGScBIj46f9CmgcZSi

Chicago

Huq, Saleemul. Adapting to Climate Change: A Challenge and Opportunity. World Resources Institute, 2010. https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-1-response-2.pdf?VersionId=wHN3NGt1ENmub1cGScBIj46f9CmgcZSi.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Huq |first1=Saleemul |title=Adapting to Climate Change: A Challenge and Opportunity |publisher=World Resources Institute |date=2010 |url=https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-1-response-2.pdf?VersionId=wHN3NGt1ENmub1cGScBIj46f9CmgcZSi |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{huq2010adapting, author = {Huq, Saleemul}, title = {{Adapting to Climate Change: A Challenge and Opportunity}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2010}, url = {https://files.wri.org/d8/s3fs-public/2023-01/wrr-2010-11-question-1-response-2.pdf?VersionId=wHN3NGt1ENmub1cGScBIj46f9CmgcZSi}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }