What Adaptation Reveals About Global Climate Governance


Seden Anlar

Forty years; that is how long we have been discussing the climate crisis. Four decades filled with undeniable scientific evidence, intense political debates, comprehensive policymaking, and passionate protests. As we have pondered and probed the best ways to tackle this globalthreat, our vocabulary around climate has expanded, introducing a multitude of ideas, words, and concepts. Among them, one word has gained significant prominence: adaptation. As the impacts of climate change have shifted from distant forecasts to present realities and the gaps in our responses have become more glaring, adaptation has moved from the margins of climate strategies to the forefront of mainstream global discourse. 

This transition, however, did not happen overnight. While it is now celebrated as one of the latest trends in the climate policy arena, adaptation was not always recognised as a viable tool to address climate change. Initially sidelined and viewed as a secondary response, adaptation has undergone an existential transformation – one that has reshaped not only how it is defined but also its purpose and how it is implemented. 
 

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