Adaptation as 'Climate-smart' development

Shiv Someshwar argues that adaptation efforts have taken climate scenarios of the future, over vast spatial scales, as the key framing device, leading primarily to general statements about the need to manage long-term impacts. National policymakers, who are under tremendous pressure to deliver actual development in the face of climate risks, are not well served by this approach. The author proposes five principles to help frame adaptation efforts. They involve managing current climate risks, and for the longer term, a 'climate-smart' approach, providing primacy to finding solutions to place-based development risks from climate. Such an approach, which utilizes learning from managing current climate risks for the management of longer term climate risks to development, would be better placed for traction with real-world development programmes, and would provide much needed succour to the lives of the poor and marginal communities who will bear the brunt of impacts from a changing climate.