1.2 Climate Adaptation Strategy
Climate adaptation planning aims to build climate robust communities, to safeguard people, ecosystems, businesses, infrastructure and buildings from the negative impacts of climate change. As a Local Authority, Cork County Council plays an important role in planning for, and responding to, emergency situations within the county.
Cork County Council provides a wide range of services, many of which are already and will increasingly be affected by climate change. The Local Authority will continue to play a critical role in responding locally to the impacts of extreme weather events and other impacts that are likely to emerge over the coming decades.
This Cork County Council Adaptation Strategy is set against the background of increasing risks associated with climate change and seeks to reduce and manage these risks at local level in all Local Authority activities.
This Cork County Adaptation Strategy (2019-2024) is Cork County Council’s first step in the climate adaptation process. This strategy will essentially set out the Local Authority’s strategic priorities, measures and responses for climate adaptation in the county over the next 5 years. Cork County Council provides a wide range of services, many of which are already and will increasingly be affected by climate change. The Local Authority will continue to play a critical role in responding locally to the impacts of extreme weather events and other impacts that are likely to emerge over the coming decades.
1.3 Climate Adaptation & Climate Mitigation
Mitigation and adaptation are important strategies in responding to climate change and represent two different paths for dealing with climate change. Mitigation deals with the causes of climate change and works to reduce man-made effects on the climate system. In contrast, climate adaptation refers to actions taken to reduce the negative effects of climate change or to take advantage of emerging opportunities.
The IPPC, in 2013 [9], defined climate adaptation as:
“The process of adjustment to actual or expected climate and its effects. In human systems, adaptation seeks to moderate or avoid harm or exploit beneficial opportunities. In some natural systems, human intervention may facilitate adjustment to,” expected climate and its effects.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), 2014 [8], define Climate Mitigation as
“human intervention to reduce the sources or enhance the sinks of greenhouse gases”.
It essentially refers to efforts to cut or prevent the emission of greenhouse gases thereby limiting the magnitude of future global warming. The IPPC, in 2013 [9], defined climate adaptation as:
Climate adaptation is essentially a planning mechanism to proactively action and make adjustments to reduce the existing and projected impacts from climate change.
Climate change mitigation and adaptation are not mutually exclusive but are key partners in any strategy to respond to climate change (Figure 1.2). As effective mitigation can restrict climate change and its impacts, it can also reduce the level of adaptation required by communities.