ABSTRACT
As we reach climate tipping points, certain impacts of climate change are becoming unavoidable. While the degree of damage associated with those impacts can, in part, be mitigated with carbon pricing, not all impacts are preventable. Climate adaptation, the subject of this chapter, is an inevitable component of the mix of policies needed to manage the risks from climate modification. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) outlines two types of adaptation policies: (1) proactive policies and (2) reactive policies.
In this chapter, we examine examples of policies and strategies used to enhance adaptation. Although the range of possibilities is large and to some extent location-specific, to illustrate the role economics can play we focus on three areas: flooding caused by increased storm frequency and intensity as well as from sea level rise; wildfires caused by extreme drought and development in fire-prone areas; and water scarcity from increased frequency of drought.
