The Value of Linking Mitigation and Adaptation: A Case Study of Bangladesh |
| |
Authors: | Jessica M Ayers Saleemul Huq |
| |
Institution: | (1) Development Studies Institute, London School of Economics, Houghton Street, London, WC2A 2AE, UK;(2) International Institute of Environment and Development, 3 Endsleigh Street, London, WC1H 0DD, UK |
| |
Abstract: | There are two principal strategies for managing climate change risks: mitigation and adaptation. Until recently, mitigation
and adaptation have been considered separately in both climate change science and policy. Mitigation has been treated as an
issue for developed countries, which hold the greatest responsibility for climate change, while adaptation is seen as a priority
for the South, where mitigative capacity is low and vulnerability is high. This conceptual divide has hindered progress against
the achievement of the fundamental sustainable development challenges of climate change. Recent attention to exploring the
synergies between mitigation and adaptation suggests that an integrated approach could go some way to bridging the gap between
the development and adaptation priorities of the South and the need to achieve global engagement in mitigation. These issues
are explored through a case study analysis of climate change policy and practice in Bangladesh. Using the example of waste-to-compost
projects, a mitigation-adaptation-development nexus is demonstrated, as projects contribute to mitigation through reducing
methane emissions; adaptation through soil improvement in drought-prone areas; and sustainable development, because poverty
is exacerbated when climate change reduces the flows of ecosystem services. Further, linking adaptation to mitigation makes
mitigation action more relevant to policymakers in Bangladesh, increasing engagement in the international climate change agenda
in preparation for a post-Kyoto global strategy. This case study strengthens the argument that while combining mitigation
and adaptation is not a magic bullet for climate policy, synergies, particularly at the project level, can contribute to the
sustainable development goals of climate change and are worth exploring. |
| |
Keywords: | Adaptation Mitigation Climate change responses Sustainable development Bangladesh South Asia |
本文献已被 PubMed SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|