Climate change adaptation practices are comprised of local knowledge and practices. These autonomous and planned interventions are designed to reduce risk and enhance the resilience of vulnerable households and communities with respect to their livelihoods and economic well-being.

Resilience is based on complex connections between social, environmental, and economic domains.

Building resilience has and continues to be central to the human endeavor. Extreme events have caused harm, shock, and suffering for centuries. At the same time, they have stimulated innovation, technological advancements, and adaptation—hallmarks of resilience under challenging circumstances.

co-authored with Anna Williams

Urgency is a word often associated with climate change. The scale and urgency of the climate crisis demands scaled-up action to prevent a range of future—and current—consequences: from extreme weather events, to poor air quality affecting the health of millions and shifting weather patterns jeopardizing agricultural production and water supplies.

Urgency, though, is not typically a word associated with evaluation or learning.

The Independent Evaluation Office of the GEF (IEO) recently organized two panel sessions at the Adaptation Futures 2016 conference, which took place in Rotterdam May 10-13.

Policy analysts have a new addition to their toolbox that recognizes the importance of deep uncertainty and the resulting need for adaptive planning approaches. The use of adaptation pathways, as this new addition is known, supports the development of adaptive policies and programmes.