ADAPTATION BASICS

Climate change impacts

Global warming is already altering the world's climate. Its impacts are felt in all sectors and regions of society, through changes in mean temperature and precipitation as well as through changes in the frequency and intensity of climate extremes. Adverse impacts of climate change will negatively affect progress toward development in a number of key areas including agriculture and food security, water resources, coastal zones, public health, climate-related disaster risk management and natural resources management. National planning must take these impacts into account.

Similarly, climate change will constrain the ability of developing countries to reach their poverty reduction and sustainable development objectives under the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The achievement of MDG targets will depend on effective planning for managing climate risks. MORE ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE RISKS TO THE MDGs >

Adaptation to climate change is a complementary strategy to mitigation for effectively managing climate change risks and must be placed within the context of a country's sustainable development.

FURTHER READING

The forthcoming ALM Links section will endeavor to provide foundational information on climate change impacts, adaptation and their linkages to development programming, implementation and sustainability. Also helpful are:

• UNDP online section on climate change impacts, and

• Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Web site.