Climate change mitigation vs. adaptation: What’s the difference

Why climate change mitigation and adaptation are both important

Both climate change mitigation and adaptation are important because they address different parts of the climate change problem. One strategy isn't better than the other. In fact, neither would be sufficient by itself.

Mitigation and adaptation need to work hand-in-hand to protect our planet and our way of life. On one hand, mitigation focuses on reducing the amount of greenhouse gases we release into the atmosphere. We're trying to slow down global warming and prevent further climate change.

Meanwhile, adaptation is about tangible, actionable solutions that will help us in the short term while our mitigation strategies come into effect. They're just as important, as they protect communities and ecosystems from the changes we can't prevent.

Climate change mitigation and adaptation are also important to climate justice. Realistically, not every country can invest the same amount of capital and resources into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies. More affluent countries should be investing heavily in mitigation strategies, as they have the resources to do so, while countries with smaller economies work on small-scale, local adaptation tactics.

Effective climate action requires both preventing further damage and preparing for the inevitable changes to come. And let's not forget: although mitigation and adaptation are both necessary now, the less we choose to mitigate today, the more adaptation we'll need to do later down the line.

IFAW's climate work

At IFAW, we're well aware of the benefits of using both climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies to fight the effects of our warming planet. We see firsthand the damage that climate change inflicts on ecosystems and wildlife, and we're dedicated to working as hard as possible to reverse it.

The three pillars of our climate work are adaptation, mitigation, and addressing loss and damage. Let's take a look at some of the climate projects we have completed or are currently running.

Climate-smart conservation

We acknowledge that climate change has already affected-and is still affecting-animals and their habitats across the globe. This means that our plans need to factor in these changes and ensure this flora and fauna is resilient enough to adapt to what's still to come.

This involves working with conservation agencies, governments, and local communities to ensure they understand the risks of climate change and the importance of conservation management plans. For example, in Africa, IFAW is working to ensure that elephants and other animals have access to water during elongated drought periods brought on by climate change.

Integrated landscape management

Ecosystems are more intertwined than we often realise. For example, higher winter temperatures in the mountains may impact alpine creatures directly, but will also affect water sources for mammals living thousands of kilometres downriver.

Through IFAW's Room to Roam initiative in Africa, we're working with local conservation agencies to ensure the presence of safe wildlife corridors for roaming and migratory animals, including elephants. We're aiming to connect core elephant populations from Zimbabwe to Kenya, keeping them away from human populations and increasing the animals' long-term resilience.

Wildlife rescue

Sadly, the reality of climate change is that weather events and warming patterns are directly jeopardising the lives of animal populations. This is why disaster response and animal rescue are key to IFAW's wildlife conservation approach .

We have airlifted an orphaned elephant calf in Zimbabwe and rebuilt koala habitats following devastating bushfires in Australia. We've also responded to floods, wildfires, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters around the globe. Building resilience is key to our disaster response work-not only are we responding in wake of disasters, but we're also helping communities prepare for them before they happen.

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