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Source: The post Global goal on adaptation (GGA) has been created on the article “Global Goal on Adaptation and the road from Dubai” published in “The Hindu” on 26th December 2023.
UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 – Environment – Ecology and Environment – Climate Change
News: COP28 in Dubai marked a significant moment in addressing climate change adaptation, pushing for a more serious approach and building on previous efforts from COP26 and COP27.
What are the key outcomes of COP28?
What is the difference between adaptation and mitigation?
Definition: Adaptation involves adjusting to current and expected impacts of climate change. It focuses on reducing vulnerability and enhancing resilience. Mitigation targets the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions to slow climate change.
Approach: Adaptation actions are often local or regional, addressing specific climate impacts like flooding or heatwaves. Mitigation efforts are global, aiming to reduce overall emissions through strategies like renewable energy or reforestation.
Measurement: Measuring adaptation is complex with no universal metric, focusing on varied local outcomes. Mitigation is measured in CO2 equivalents, offering a standardized metric for comparing efforts globally.
What is the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA)?
The GGA is a commitment within the Paris Agreement aiming to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce vulnerability to climate change.
The GGA focuses on having nations conduct comprehensive climate risk assessments, inform policy with these findings, and establish early warning systems by 2027.
What are the Challenges in Implementing GGA?
Translating Global Goals to National Action: Implementing the GGA is complex due to differences in national conditions, administrative capacities, and economic development levels, which affect how global goals are adopted locally.
Measuring Progress: There’s no universal metric for adaptation, making it difficult to aggregate and compare progress across countries. The GGA is working on developing indicators but currently lacks specifics on development and implementation.
Financing Gap: The adaptation finance gap is widening, with a need for $ 71 billion per year until 2030. Current finance is insufficient, with adaptation finance significantly trailing behind mitigation, reflecting a bias in climate financing priorities.
Way forward
To address climate challenges effectively, global efforts must prioritize adaptation alongside mitigation, recognizing its urgency due to escalating extreme weather events. It’s critical to close the adaptation financing gap, aiming for the $71 billion needed annually. Additionally, establishing universal metrics for adaptation and implementing key strategies, such as risk assessments and early warning systems, are essential steps.
Question for practice:
Evaluate the challenges associated with implementing the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA) and the importance of prioritizing adaptation alongside mitigation efforts.
