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Adaptation to climate change is typically aimed at reducing vulnerability to its adverse
effects through efforts to enhance adaptive capacity and resilience of a given ecosystem
and/or community. Hence, in order for the Xeni Gwet’in to reduce their vulnerability to
climate change, they must focus on building their adaptive capacity, while reducing their
exposure and sensitivity to climate impacts.
Box
1: Key definitions associated with adaptation
Impact: The way a human or natural system is affected by environmental change, including
climate effects. 1
Risk: In the context of environmental change, risk refers to the threat posed by a change,
i.e. the probability of an adverse impact. Climate change risk is a function of the
magnitude of an individual hazard and/or change and the degree of vulnerability of
a system (or a community) to that hazard and/or change. Unless a system (or
community) is vulnerable to the hazard, there is no risk. 1
Coping: Short‐term actions to ward off immediate risk, rather than to adjust to continuous or
permanent threats or changes – strategies usually rely on selling or using up assets
or resources. Coping strategies are often the same set of measures that have been
used before. When using coping strategies as the response to stress, it is possible
that vulnerability will increase in the long term. 1
Adaptation: Adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic
stimuli or their effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities. 1
Adaptive capacity: The ability of a system to adjust to climate change (including climate variability and
extremes) to moderate potential damages, to take advantage of opportunities, or to
cope with the consequences. 2
Vulnerability: The degree to which a system is susceptible to, or unable to cope with, adverse
effects of climate change, including climate variability and extremes. Vulnerability is
a function of the character, magnitude, and rate of climate variation to which a
system is exposed, its sensitivity, and its adaptive capacity. 2
Resilience: The ability of a community to resist, absorb, and recover from the effects of hazards
in a timely and efficient manner, preserving or restoring its essential basic
structures, functions and identity. 2
t should be noted that the terms “adaptation” and “coping” are often used interchangeably. However, these
wo terms are distinctly different, as demonstrated by the characteristics below. 3
I
t
Coping Adaptation • Short‐term and immediate
• Oriented towards longer term livelihoods
• Oriented towards survival
security
• Not continuous
• A continuous process
• Motivated by crisis, reactive
• Results are sustained
• Often degrades resource base
• Uses resource efficiently and sustainably
• Prompted by a lack of alternatives
• Involves planning
• Combines old and new strategies
and knowledge
• Focused on finding alternatives
Sources: 1: ICIMOD, 2009. Local Responses to Too Much and Too Little Water in the Greater Himalayan Region; 2: IPPC,
2007 3: CARE 2009, Climate Vulnerability & Capacity Analysis Handbook.
2