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Climate change

Climate adaptation for disaster resilience and climate change as a risk driver.

Climate adaptation relates to the process of adjusting in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climate hazards, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. Climate change adaptation is closely related to disaster risk management as they both aim to reduce vulnerability and build resilience to disasters. Climate change as a risk driver refers to how changes in the global climate drive extreme weather events and disaster risk.


Climate disasters are intensifying, threatening lives, livelihoods, and entire economies.

Latest Climate change additions in the Knowledge Base

The Paradoxes of Climate Change Reporting: A study of landslide news coverage in Hindi language newspapers of Himachal Pradesh, India thumbnail
Documents and publications

The study looks into the existing gaps in the newsrooms of the selected editions of the Hindi-language newspapers reporting on the issues of climate change.

Journal of Development Communication
Disaster Risk Reduction State of Play in Africa thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report assesses 2023–2026 disaster risk reduction in Africa since the 2015 Sendai Framework, finding climate hazards caused 90% of disasters and $133B losses, noting policy progress but highlighting persistent finance, data, and implementation gaps.

Development Alternatives Incorporated - DAI
Disaster Risk Reduction State of Play in the Caribbean thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report provides an overview of disaster risk reduction (DRR) in the Caribbean region from 2022 to 2026, analysing the risk context, key trends, progress against DRRP strategic objectives, policy developments, and emerging challenges.

Development Alternatives Incorporated - DAI
UN declaration on sea level rise  thumbnail
Documents and publications

This declaration urges strengthening of global action on sea level rise, emphasizing four pillars: science, adaptation, livelihoods, and legal issues, and calls for enhanced support and coordinated responses for vulnerable communities.

United Nations General Assembly
COP participants during a session
Update
5 expectations for COP 31 in Antalya

As climate negotiations move from commitment to implementation, here are five expectations for COP31 in Antalya.

United Nations University - Institute for Environment and Human Security (UNU-EHS)
Aerial view of Antalya's harbor and cityscape with clear blue sea and historic sites.
Last updated 15 Oct 2026
The 2026 UN Climate Change Conference COP 31 will bring global climate decision-makers to the Pacific in Antalya, Türkiye, providing an opportunity to build momentum for negotiations while showcasing Pacific leadership, perspectives and climate action.
Update
Net zero timing and extreme El Niños

New modelling suggests the tropical Pacific could stay in an El Niño-like state for centuries even after net zero is reached, with a larger share of El Niño events turning extreme. The longer emissions take to fall, the more of them.

Conversation Media Group, the
Update
South Africa: First climate and health surveillance platform

South Africa launched its first national Climate and Health Surveillance platform, a pioneering research and decision-support tool designed to strengthen the country’s ability to understand and respond to the growing health impacts of climate change.

South African Medical Research Council
Update
Record Pacific warmth as El Niño strengthens

WMO’s Global Seasonal Climate Update forecasts the Niño 3.4 anomaly reaching about +3.7°C in October–December, the highest since observations began, with a near-100 per cent likelihood that El Niño persists through February 2027.

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Green Leap – El Niño heating up inflation  thumbnail
Documents and publications

This research briefing analyzes how the intensifying El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole will heighten drought and inflation risks in Africa by 2026/27, impacting food prices and regional economies; it recommends robust disaster risk management measures.

Oxford economics
Aerial shot of a wildfire near White River, South Africa, creating dramatic sunset scenery over the landscape.
Update
Measuring wildfire plumes

Firefighter and researcher Marc Castellnou sends weather balloons into towering wildfire plumes to measure temperature, wind and humidity, opening a new way to anticipate when a fire turns extreme – and why some keep burning fiercely at night.

Wageningen University and Research Centre
Update
Construction rethinks jobsite heat protocols

The construction industry is developing a more comprehensive approach to climate change as deadly heat waves pose growing risks to both workers and project deadlines.

Urban Land Institute, the
Australian toolkit on international protection in the context of climate change and disasters thumbnail
Documents and publications

This toolkit provides practical guidance for decision-makers and legal practitioners assessing international protection claims in which climate change and disasters play a role.

University of New South Wales
UNSW Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law
A stark landscape of cracked dry earth beneath a clear blue sky, depicting arid climate and drought.
Update
Three things to know about El Niño

A powerful El Niño is developing in the tropical Pacific and is expected to influence global temperature and precipitation through 2027. Climate Central sets out how its warming effect compares with human-caused climate change.

Climate Central
National action plan for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the health sector 2025-2030: Indonesia thumbnail
Policies and plans
Policy type
National policies and plans

Indonesia’s 2025–2030 national action plan sets out a framework for climate change mitigation and adaptation in the health sector, guiding government bodies and stakeholders on implementation and funding.

Indonesia - government
Meetings and conferences
Online
Join this online event at the occassion fo the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction 2026 under the theme of ‘Resilience Starts at Home’.
Adaptation practices to climate change through crisis management: Evidence from farmers in Japan thumbnail
Documents and publications

This study explores how Japanese farmers adapt to climate change-related crises through crisis management. Findings indicate that Japanese farmers have a relatively moderate to high perception of climate change, but some farmers exhibit adaptive behavior.

Progress in Disaster Science (Elsevier)
Climate-economic country risk profile: Nigeria thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report examines Nigeria’s “double cost crunch” from climate impacts and the low-carbon transition, highlighting pressures on growth, public finances and investment and recommending adaptation, resilient infrastructure and energy diversification.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Climate-economic country risk profile: Indonesia thumbnail
Documents and publications

Report examines Indonesia’s “double cost crunch” from climate impacts and the low-carbon transition, finding that delayed action can increase damages and financing pressures and recommending early investment, adaptation and international climate finance.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Climate-economic country risk profile: India thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report examines India’s “double cost crunch” from climate damages and the low-carbon transition, finding that delayed mitigation intensifies economic pressures and that immediate climate action brings greater long-term benefits.

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Extreme heat in London sun and Big Ben
Update
Did the hot summer make more people worry about climate change?

UK’s record-breaking heatwaves increased concern about climate change, but extreme weather alone rarely changes beliefs or behaviour. Effective communication and making climate-friendly choices affordable, convenient and safe are key to lasting change.

Conversation Media Group, the
Update
USA: Supreme Court wrestles with who should pay for climate change

The Supreme Court opened its 2026-2027 term Monday with a climate case: a lawsuit brought by Boulder, Colorado, against Exxon Mobil and Suncor, a Canadian oil company, over the costs of a warming planet.

Grist Magazine
This image shows a group of people demonstrating. They are holding a large green banner that says" Climate change is a health emergency".
Last updated 6 Oct 2026
Climate change impacts human health and strains heavily burdened health services everywhere. Health-related risks linked to climate change range widely, from increased transmission of vector-borne diseases to decreased access to services after disasters.
A health worker checks the blood pressure of a patient at the mobile clinic in Ankatafana, Madagascar
Update
How Indonesia is linking climate action and health

Indonesia is aligning policies and strengthening intra-government coordination to address the growing health risks of climate change.

Development Asia
Urbanization erodes heat resilience across Chinese cities thumbnail
Documents and publications

This study aims to systematically reveal the nexus among urban heat resilience, urban-scale expansion, and land-cover transformation in 70 rapidly urbanizing Chinese cities

Elsevier
Future risks and trends in heat
Last updated 6 Oct 2026
Explore this collection to learn more about the latest insights on future heat trends, the science behind heatwaves and compound events, heatwave-related attribution studies, and content on how we measure heat and losses.
Update
Swiss glaciers lose a further five per cent of their volume

Intense heatwaves from May to September, combined with a winter with little snow, led to another devastating year for the glaciers.

University of Fribourg
What counts? The state of evidence of outcomes of locally led adaptation  thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report responds directly to a call from financiers for better and more nuanced evidence on the outcomes of locally led adaptation.

Stockholm Environment Institute
Films as a tool for climate education: A quasi-experimental intervention amongst middle school children from the Indian Himalayan region thumbnail
Documents and publications

This study examines the effectiveness of film-based interventions in climate education among middle school children in Kangra District, Himachal Pradesh, India.

University of Sydney
Meetings and conferences
Nadi
In person
Side-event on Pacific evidence on economic and non-economic loss and damage with focus on unlocking action and finance, with perspectives from governments, communities, regional organisations and international partners.
Forest in California with panoramic aerial wildfire is burning trees smoke fire dry grass
Last updated 30 Sep 2026
Discover research, assessments and technical resources on future wildfire trends, the science behind wildfire-related compound events, and attribution studies examining the influence of climate change on wildfire occurrence and severity.
Stunning view of a glacier with blue icy water under a cloudy sky.
Research briefs
Climate overshoot: Lasting impacts even after global temperatures fall

Accounting for the accumulated effects could help governments better assess climate risks and plan adaptation measures, Concordia researchers say

Concordia University
A striking landscape depicting a drought-stricken lake surrounded by mountain peaks.
Update
‘Super’ or ‘Godzilla,’ El Niño is already breaking records

The article explores the record-strength 2026 El Niño, its global impacts and links to climate change, while examining how terms such as “super El Niño” shape how scientists, media and the public understand extreme events.

Grist Magazine
Lithuania: Climate Change Adaptation Law thumbnail
Policies and plans
Policy type
National legal frameworks

On 11 June 2026, Lithuania’s Parliament adopted the Climate Change Adaptation Law, establishing a legal framework for developing and implementing adaptation policy, managing climate-related risks, and collecting and providing relevant information.

Ministry of Environment (Lithuania)
Stunning rural landscape of vineyards and hills in Erice, Sicily on a clear day.
Update
Italy: The long goodbye to Piana degli Albanesi

This Sicilian community has endured for centuries. But climate change, drought, heat and wildfires are threatening farming livelihoods in Sicily’s Arbëreshë community, raising concerns over the potential loss of a 500-year-old cultural heritage.

Grist Magazine
Climate change in Türkiye and its impact on oncology nurses  thumbnail
Documents and publications

This review examines climate change in Türkiye, its effects on health and cancer care, and the role of oncology nurses in adaptation, disaster preparedness, environmental health awareness, and supporting patients during climate-related crises.

ecancer
Climate hazard assessment – Kikuube district thumbnail
Documents and publications

This report assesses climate hazards in Uganda’s Kikuube District, finding increasing drought stress, localized flood risk and rising temperatures. It recommends early warning systems, climate-smart agriculture, water management and resilience planning.

Uganda Learning, Evidence, Accountability and Research Network
Economic opportunities from investing in climate resilience in the UK thumbnail
Documents and publications

This policy brief describes economic risks and adaptation opportunities for the UK in relation to agriculture, flood and coastal management, health and labour productivity.

London School of Economics and Political Science, the
Homeless person walking on front of Seoul Central Station, in South Korea
Research briefs
Unveiling the unevenness of global warming

As record-breaking global temperatures and extreme weather events spark intense debate over global warming speed-up, a new study led by UC Santa Cruz reveals how warming is accelerating differently across distinct regions.

University of California, Santa Cruz
Update
Harvard database on corporate climate targets

A new Harvard dataset tracks corporate climate commitments and emissions across 25 years, as US federal reporting programmes are wound down.

Harvard University
earth-heat-wave-sun-high-temperature
Last updated 24 Sep 2026
Resources on attribution science to communicate the linkages between extreme weather events and climate change.
Aerial view of people walking across exposed sandy sandbars on Danube River, highlighting extreme drought and low water levels caused by climate change.
Research briefs
MU study finds climate change deepened July drought conditions

The new study investigates how climate change contributed to the weather conditions experienced during summer 2026, with a particular focus on July's dry conditions and the role of increasing atmospheric drying.

Maynooth University
Indigenous Australians women during ceremonial dance in Laura Quinkan Dance Festival Cape York, Australia
Update
Indigenous governance offers way forward as climate disasters multiply

Indigenous communities are confronting mounting climate threats even as inadequate funding, scant legal recognition, and little support for self-governance limit their ability to respond.

Grist Magazine
Global emissions since the Paris agreement have intensified Europe's recent heatwaves thumbnail
Documents and publications

This paper uses a generative machine-learning model to show strong evidence that global emissions since the 2015 Paris Agreement intensified Europe's recent heat extremes, including the high-impact June 2025 heatwave.

Geophysical Research Letters (AGU)
Drone shot capturing the dry, barren landscapes near Halleck, Nevada.
Research briefs
USA: Fossil fuel producers linked to West’s worsening water shortages

As Western United States grapples with severe drought, leading cities to scramble for water and farmers to abandon some crops, a new study has found that 122 major oil, gas, coal, and cement companies and state-owned operations are partially responsible.

Yale Climate Connections
Powerful waves crash against a pier and lighthouse under dark stormy skies.
Update
Climate change boosts extreme ocean heat fueling Hurricane Polo

Heavy rainfall associated with the storm is expected to bring life-threatening flooding and mudslides to coastal communities in southwestern Mexico. The moisture from Hurricane Polo is also increasing the risk of dangerous flooding in the U.S. Southwest.

Climate Central
Climate change and water coming down from the mountains have flooded the lowlands of Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Update
Planetary Health Check 2026 finds mounting pressures

The annual update is authored by more than 60 scientists and produced by the Planetary Boundaries Science Lab at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
Farmers joyfully harvest tomatoes in a sunny Nigerian field.
Update
What makes climate adaptation work? Inside adaptation insights

Every year, billions are invested in helping communities adapt to climate change. But how do we know whether those investments actually make people and communities—particularly the most vulnerable—resilient to worsening climate risks?

Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research (CGIAR)
A flooded street after hurricane Irma hit Florida, USA.
Update
USA: Repeat of Miami’s 1926 hurricane could cost over $280 billion

A repeat of the 1926 Great Miami Hurricane could cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. Population growth, increased exposure and climate change have heightened risks, with potential impacts on insurance, real estate and financial markets.

Yale Climate Connections
Vacancy
Remote
Closing date
PPI seeks two interns to join our team remotely to support its efforts in addressing global DRR and policy-related challenges.