MITIGATION AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES FOR

REDUCING AND MANAGING THE IMPACTS OF

CLIMATE CHANGE

G E O G R A P H I C A L D E B AT E S
“WE OFTEN DON’T FULLY APPRECIATE THAT CLIMATE
CHANGE IS A PROBLEM. WE THINK IT IS A PROBLEM
WAITING TO HAPPEN” – KOFI ANNAN
WHAT STRATEGIES ARE YOU AWARE OF THAT MANAGE
THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE?

• Work with a partner to list as many as you can.

• For each one state how it manages climate change. For example bike to work, would mean less
people use cars which reduce congestions and therefore CO2 emissions (greenhouse gas).
• Decide if you can group the strategies.
THERE ARE 2 KEY STRATEGIES USED
TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE:

1. MITIGATION: involves taking action to reduce how much climate change

occurs. It means reducing the output of greenhouse emissions and increasing
the size of green house gas sinks. Refers to policies which are meant to
delay, reduce or prevent climate change caused by global warming.

2. ADAPTATION: involves taking action to reduce the impacts that the climate
changes are having. Means changing our lifestyles to cope with the new
environment rather than trying to stop climate change.
THERE ARE 2 KEY STRATEGIES USED
TO ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE:
 2. ‘capturing’ carbon emissions from power stations and storing them in for
1. Setting targets to reduce carbon emissions
instance spent oil wells.

3. Switching to renewable energy sources e.g.. wind 4. Developing drought resistant crops

5. Managed retreat of coastlines vulnerable to sea level rise 6. Enlarging existing conservation areas to allow for shifting habitat zones

7. Carbon tax – taxing companies or people who produce CO 2. Increasing costs 8. Modified agricultural practices – cut methane generation from farm animals e.g.
discourages over consumption of energy. by developing new types of feed.

10. Using freshwater resources more efficiently to cope with drought conditions e.g.
9. Have better flood warning systems
installing water meters in homes

11. Increase the amount of waste that is recycled 12. Tree planting to create more carbon sinks

14. Carbon off setting – individuals and companies can calculate the amount of
13. Educating local communities on the potential impacts of climate change CO2 their activities are producing, then offset them by paying for activities
that take up an equal amount of CO2. e.g. tree planting

16. Emission cutting technologies – carbon capture and storage involves storing
15. Energy conservation – switching off home appliances when not being used. CO2 produced using methods like injecting it into geological formations e.g.
coal seams.

17. Changing the energy mix – changing the mix of sources of energy e.g. 18. Improved risk assessment – looking at the likelihood that people or property
lowering the proportion of energy made from fossil fuels and increasing will be damaged by climate change impacts and evaluating the need for
energy from sources that produce less greenhouse gases e.g. nuclear power. insurance policies.

19. Lifestyle adaptations – people adapt to the way they live to suit the new
20. The Victoria Line as part of the London Underground is fitted with a cooling
conditions – e.g. planting new crops that will flourish in the new climatic
system using groundwater.
conditions.
YOUR TASK:

You now need to take ONE of the mitigation or adaptation strategies and create no more than a max 3 slide
summary explaining it – you should do some research of your own – you can use short video clips, diagrams to
help you – but you are going to present this / explain your chosen strategy to the rest of the class next lesson.

You should evaluate your strategy!! How well is it working now, what is its potential?

MITIGATION STRATEGIES INCLUDE:

1. Energy efficiency and conservation – BedZED

2. Fuel Shifts and low-carbon energy sources – GR Renewable – Iceland and Nuclear Power e.g. Hinkley
Point

3. Carbon Capture and Storage – Hot Planet - Dakota

4. Geoengineering – Last part of Hot Planet – Plastic trees, white cities etc.

5. Reforestation and forest conservation – GR Climate Change and Forestry - Amazon

 Mitigation – Energy Conservation and Efficiency - BedZED

Beddington Zero (fossil) Energy Development or BedZED, is the

UK's largest ecovillage. Energy efficiency, renewable energy and
water conservation are successfully integrated with other
strategies such as local organic food deliveries.

BedZED comprises 82 homes, office space and live-work units.

The village has a mix of social housing, shared ownership, key-
worker homes and private houses for sale at prices comparable to
more conventional homes in the area. It is designed for a
comfortable, yet highly resource-efficient way of life. The
development strives to achieve environmental, social and
economic sustainability.

Task: Watch the clip (Britain under threat – 33mins) to make notes on BedZED. Then use the website to
fill in your sheet on the way BedZED shows how we could potentially make our homes more energy
efficient and thus cut CO2 emissions.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/education/clips/ztmc87h
https://www.bioregional.com/bedzed/
http://www.energysavingsecrets.co.uk/bedzed-the-uks-biggest-eco-community.html
 Mitigation – Fuel Shifts Renewables and low carbon sources
Geothermal energy – This country gets 99% of its Wind Energy – London Array (271 turbines)
energy from renewable sources (Geothermal and HEP). providing power for 750,000 people.

Nuclear Power Power – Not a true

renewable as it will run out, but extremely
low carbon footprint. It provides energy
for 75% of the population in this country.

Wave Energy – Aguçadoura Wave Solar Power – Andosol is made up of 2

Farm uses three pelamis machines to km² of solar cells. It creates enough energy
generate energy for 1500 homes. to produce electricity for 50,000 homes.

Task: watch the Hot Planet (32 mins 30) to get an idea of how renewable energy sources can help. Match up the renewable
energy sources used in particular countries. Add additional information next to the text boxes.
Mitigation – Renewables and low carbon sources – Iceland

Task: Read through Renewable Iceland and add some

notes to the Geothermal/HEP section of your notes on
the map.
Mitigation – Fuel Shifts Renewables and low carbon sources – Nuclear Power at Hinkley Point, Somerset

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgMvvfVaQf8
Could nuclear power be the answer?
 Mitigation – Geo-Engineering
Geoengineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the
Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change. Generally
Geo-engineering can be grouped into two categories:

Solar Radiation Management (SRM) or Solar Geoengineering which

aims to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space,
counteracting the temperature rise caused by increased levels of
greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.
e.g:

Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR)  or Carbon Geoengineering which

aims to remove carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases from the
atmosphere, directly countering the increased greenhouse effect and
ocean acidification.
e.g:

Task: Watch the last part of Hot Planet (56minutes), which

outlines how Geo-engineering may work to help cool the planet.
Look at the infographic and decide which are SRM and which
are GGR techniques and add some examples to the statements
above.
 Mitigation – Renewables and low carbon sources – Carbon Capture and Storage

Sample examination question – Outline how carbon capture and storage will mitigate
against climate change. (6 marks)

Hot Planet 18 min 40.

Mitigation Strategy How does it reduce carbon emissions? (effectiveness/evaluate)
Energy Efficiency and
Conservation

Fuel shifts and low

carbon sources

Carbon capture and

storage

Geoengineering

Reforestation and
conservation
Mitigation Strategy How does it reduce carbon emissions? (effectiveness/evaluate)

Energy Efficiency
and Conservation

Fuel shifts and low

carbon sources

Carbon capture
and storage

Geoengineering Geoengineering is the deliberate large-scale intervention in the Earth’s natural systems to counteract climate change. Generally Geo-engineering can be grouped into
two categories. Firstly, Solar Radiation Management (SRM),which aims to reflect a small proportion of the Sun’s energy back into space, counteracting the
temperature rise caused by increased levels of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This may include strategies such as planting more
reflective crops. Secondly, Greenhouse Gas Removal (GGR), which aims to remove carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases (which contribute to global warming)
from the atmosphere. This may include techniques such as Ocean Fertilization, which can stimulate phytoplankton growth and therefore increase the uptake of CO2
in our oceans via primary productivity due to increased photosynthesis. The strategies are either costly and effective or low cost and not that effective, perhaps viewed
as a more extreme measure.

Reforestation and The UN has devised a number of global strategies to manage this such as REDD (Reducing Emissions through Deforestation and Degradation) and CDM (Clean
conservation Development Mechanisms). This has meant that Low Income Countries especially have benefitted from financial assistance from Advanced Countries to help replant
forests particularly in South East Asia, which in turn will take in carbon dioxide. Timber can be harvested legally and so this can provide a source of local income as
well which is hugely beneficial. Conservation also has obvious benefits for biodiversity and habitat protection and so National Parks in place like the Amazon work
well creating a carbon sink as well as aiding wildlife. Deforestation is very difficult to police and Brazil spends considerable amounts of money on this but catching
illegal loggers is very difficult due to the scale of the Amazon as well as corruption.
 Adaptation Strategies – Retreat, accommodation and protection

Adaptation anticipates the adverse effects of climate change and takes action to minimise
or prevent the damage. It is a strategy that may provide the answers in the short term, but
does not reduce the problem of climate change. Adaptation can be done in one of three
ways.

Retreat

Accommodation

Protection
 RETREAT STRATEGIES
This involves moving people and property out of the way of potential climatic
impacts such as flooding. This might include managed realignment on the coast or
land-use zoning in areas prone to river flooding such as floodplains.
 ACCOMMODATION STRATEGIES
This involves changing practices to deal with climatic impacts. This might include the
introduction of disease resistant or salt tolerant (halophytic) crops to try to allow for
new pests or sea water flooding.
 PROTECTION STRATEGIES
This involves the construction of defences or the implantation of fighting new
threats. This might include improved coastal defence in the hard engineering or
soft engineering sense. Give examples of each of these.

However, it may also mean the protection of people against vector and water borne
diseases. How may this be achieved?
 Adaptation Strategies – Retreat, accommodation and protection

Task: Decide if the following strategies are Retreat, Accommodation or Protection

1. In Bangladesh as the soil becomes increasingly saline, it is getting harder to cultivate rice. New strains of rice
crops which are tolerant to salt (halophytic crops) are being developed and farming practices are changing e.g.
shrimp farming is becoming more popular.
2. As malaria spreads globally, more is being done to protect people contracting the disease. This could be
through charitable organisations providing prophylactic medicines or mosquito nets.
3. Managed realignment taking place at the coastline, this was seen in Porlock Bay, where farmland was allowed
to flood in order to create a salt marsh. The grazing land has been moved inland by about 500m or so.
4. In many areas in the UK which are vulnerable to river flooding, land use zoning takes place where lower flood
terraces are not built on, but may be used for low risk land uses such as recreation or carparks. In Exeter, the
River Exe as park and football pitches along its banks. This is problematic though as it reduces the availability
of land for new housing.
5. In Minehead 13 million pounds has been spent on upgrading new coastal defences, which will protect against
wave action as well as coastal flooding. While in Bangladesh the government are raising the height of
embankment by up to feet to protect villages from coastal and fluvial flooding.
6. In response to increased drought in the South East England, Thames Water are proposing the construction of a
new reservoir near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and are spending money to repair broken pipes throughout the
region.
 Adaptation Strategies – Retreat, accommodation and protection

Task: Decide if the following strategies are Retreat, Accommodation or Protection

1. In Bangladesh as the soil becomes increasingly saline, it is getting harder to cultivate rice. New strains of rice
crops which are tolerant to salt (halophytic crops) are being developed and farming practices are changing e.g.
shrimp farming is becoming more popular.
2. As malaria spreads globally, more is being done to protect people contracting the disease. This could be
through charitable organisations providing prophylactic medicines or mosquito nets.
3. Managed realignment taking place at the coastline, this was seen in Porlock Bay, where farmland was allowed
to flood in order to create a salt marsh. The grazing land has been moved inland by about 500m or so.
4. In many areas in the UK which are vulnerable to river flooding, land use zoning takes place where lower flood
terraces are not built on, but may be used for low risk land uses such as recreation or carparks. In Exeter, the
River Exe as park and football pitches along its banks. This is problematic though as it reduces the availability
of land for new housing.
5. In Minehead 13 million pounds has been spent on upgrading new coastal defences, which will protect against
wave action as well as coastal flooding. While in Bangladesh the government are raising the height of
embankment by up to feet to protect villages from coastal and fluvial flooding.
6. In response to increased drought in the South East England, Thames Water are proposing the construction of a
new reservoir near Abingdon, Oxfordshire and are spending money to repair broken pipes throughout the
region.
 Future Adaptation Strategies – Buildings, cities, transport and economies

Buildings, cities, transport and economies will have to adapt in the future to rising
temperatures, more frequent floods and droughts.

Task: Use pages 323 – 325 to write notes on how this may be done.
Let’s Prepare for our new climate – Adapting US Cities – TED TALK
 ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS BY WATCHING THE TED TALK ON
ADAPTING CITIES IN THE USA

1. What the hazard that struck New Orleans?

2. How has New Orleans adapted to future climate change impacts?

3. How can farmers adapt to drought?

4. What strategies are Chicago implementing?

5. What is stationarity and what is the problem with it?

CONCEPT MAPS ON TWO COUNTRIES AT DIFFERENT
STAGES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

You need to be aware how the UK and Bangladesh experience current economic,
social and environmental impacts. What are the opportunities and challenges that
this presents?

What are the technological, socio-economic and political challenges associated

with adaptation and mitigation?
Why is Bangladesh vulnerable to climate
C ON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OUN TR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONOM IC DEV EL OP M ENT -
B A NG L A DESH
C ON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OUN TR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONOM IC DEV EL OP M ENT -
B A NG L A DESH
C ON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OUN TR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONOM IC DEV EL OP M ENT -
B A NG L A DESH
CONCEPT MAPS ON TWO COUNTRIES AT DIFFERENT
STAGES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Videos for Bangladesh

Channel 4 – Impacts and Adaptations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9yJ7K_3n50&spfreload=10

World Bank Video - Adaptations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3IL6Y1TDHo&spfreload=10

News article on mitigation in Bangladesh

https://www.thedailystar.net/why-climate-change-mitigation-matters-for-banglades
h-49229
3.14C BANGLADESH - HOW IS IT BEING EFFECTED BY AND MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE?

Opportunities Threats Opportunities Threats

Current socio-economic impacts Current environmental impacts

Bangladesh

Mitigation Adaptation
Challenges Challenges
Strategies Strategies
Technological Political Socio-economic Socio-economic Political Technological
TASK: WHAT ARE THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE
FOR THE UK?
THINK ABOUT SOCIO-ECONOMIC AND
ENVIRONMENTAL
CON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OU NTR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONO M IC DEV EL OP M ENT – TH E
UK

THE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE ARE VERY

MUCH MIXED IN TERMS OF POSITIVE AND
NEGATIVE EFFECTS.
TASK- HIGHLIGHT POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES.
HOW IS THE UK MANAGING CLIMATE
CHANGE?
• What was the finding of the Stern Review?
• What is the Climate Change Act (2008)?
• What threat is there to Renewable Energy projects in the future?
CON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OU NTR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONO M IC DEV EL OP M ENT – TH E
UK

T H E UK IS MITIGAT ING AGAINST CL IMAT E CH ANGE BY INTRODUCING T H E CL IMATE

CHA NGE ACT OF 2008 .
CON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OU NTR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONO M IC DEV EL OP M ENT – TH E
UK

ON A L OCAL SCAL E A NUMBER OF

INIT IATIVES ARE TA KING PL ACE
CON CEP T M AP S ON T W O C OU NTR I ES A T DI FF ER ENT S TA G ES OF EC ONO M IC DEV EL OP M ENT – TH E
UK
UK - MITIGATION

• In 2017, the UK powered itself for a full day without coal

for the first time since the Industrial Revolution, and in
the beginning of this year, it announced plans to phase
out all coal-fired power plants by 2025.
• The nation’s efforts aren’t just about cutting coal, but
about replacing fossil fuels with smarter and cleaner
forms of energy. Scotland in particular has grown into a
global leader in wind energy, with ambitious plans to
produce the equivalent of 100 percent of its gross annual
electricity consumption through renewables by 2020.
 CHALLENGES
In Pairs Discuss:

How does this make you feel?

Why are people opposed to them?

 CHALLENGES
'Nimbyism' blocking the spread of wind farms

Local planning logjams are preventing renewable

power projects being given the green light,
according to research that reveals two out of three
applications for onshore wind farms are being
rejected.
Thirty three schemes have been turned down by
local authorities in the past 18 months. Only 15 were
approved, a study by environmentalists has found.
Wind power operators warned that schemes to
provide the equivalent of eight conventional power
stations were clogged up in the planning system
sometimes for years and called for action to win
over a "not in my back yard" element campaigning
against new projects.
CONCEPT MAPS ON TWO COUNTRIES AT DIFFERENT STAGES OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – THE UK

HOW IS THE UK ADAPTING?

Task – Make some notes from the video ‘Climate Change Britain Under Threat’ – 39 minutes onwards on how the
UK and particularly London may be have to adapt in the future. Consider the implications of where coastal
defences have to be built.
https://www.theccc.org.uk/tackling-climate-change/preparing-for-climate-change/how-the-uk-is-preparing/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/jan/30/flooding-experts-uk-adapt-climate-change
3.14C UK - HOW IS IT BEING EFFECTED BY AND MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE?

Opportunities Threats Opportunities Threats

Current socio-economic impacts Current environmental impacts

UK

Mitigation Adaptation
Challenges Challenges
Strategies Strategies
Technological Political Socio-economic Socio-economic Political Technological
TASKS.
• Complete the mind map for the UK. Use the information gathered from the video and the articles.

• We need to be able to compare the two nations (UK and Bangladesh). What other information is
relevant? Carbon footprint, Literacy rates, GDP/capita etc. Ensure you can explain differences in
impacts beyond wealth such as physical geography, location and climate.

• Think about local, national and regional ways the countries are managing climate change.
Bangladesh is not carrying out much mitigation on a national or international level, but does it
need to given its low carbon footprint.
3.14C BANGLADESH - HOW IS IT BEING EFFECTED BY AND MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE? 10% of the country is within 1 metre above sea-level.
The land of the delta region is made up of alluvium
20 million people live just above the water Slowly the country is showing a changing deposited by the Brahmaputra and Ganges Rivers. This
Many farmers are now switching to more
line. Bangladesh at risk form cyclones and ecosystem, which benefit some organisms. makes it vulnerable to both coastal and river flooding.
lucrative shrimp or crab farming in areas like
storm surges. Embankments at present are Flooding will provide increased fertility to The Bay of Bengal has warm sea temperatures and is
the Sundabans. While other are migrating to
not high enough to protect against these let the soils in the long term. warming this means it’s coastline is at increased
Dhaka the capital of Bangladesh where they
alone when rising sea-levels are taken into cyclone risk (and therefore storm surges are more
may have a better standard of living.
account. Ground water is also being intruded likely).
by salt water rendering undrinkable.

Opportunities Threats Opportunities Threats

Current socio-economic impacts Current environmental impacts

Bangladesh
0.21 tonnes of CO2
emitted/capita/annum

Mitigation Adaptation Challenges

Challenges
Strategies Strategies
Technological Political Socio-economic Socio-economic Political Technological
Locally produced ceramic Salt tolerant rice crops
The drainage channels Decisions about There is on going
Bangladesh is Bangladesh is Bangladesh has a poor stoves ae now becoming (halophytic) are grown rather
(over 600) that are where to build research into how de
unlikely to be able under-represented at population and literacy more widespread in rural than normal rice as
needed to protect Dhaka embankments will salinization can best
to invest in global meetings and levels 61% of adults read Bangladesh and they are groundwater is now too saline.
(population 13 million) be difficult and work for Bangladesh.
advanced does not have and write and standard of estimated to use less than Embankments have been raised
are expensive to build. given the cost However this requires
renewable projects specialist climate education is low. Hard to half the fuel of a in some areas to protect
Other areas will need some areas will technological expertise
for producing science envoy to get people to engage with traditional open fire, communities as well as
these but will be left have to be left un- and local people may
energy. represent their why they should change therefore less CO2. farmland. Many farmers are
unprotected. Lack of defended. find this hard to
interest at COP practices to mitigate switching to farming
infrastructure for shrimp implement/maintain.
meetings such as against climate change. particularly shrimp.
farming plus 60% are
Paris. Desalination plants can be
subsistence rice farmers.
established
3.14C UK - HOW IS IT BEING EFFECTED BY AND MANAGING CLIMATE CHANGE?
Increased temperatures and a longer Sea-level rise as well as worsening winter Increased temperatures and a longer Increased temperatures in places such as
growing season would mean it may be storms are a growing threat for coastal growing season would mean increased the north of Scotland is putting the
possible to grow new crops such as Olives areas and the North-West. While drought NPP and therefore have benefits for ecosytem under threat. The ptarmigan
and grapes. Tourist destinations such as and water shortages could be an increasing biodiversity and ecosystems as a whole. which depends on frost and snow for
Blackpool may benefit as it develops a problem for the populated South east and Rainbow fish are now a regular sight off camouflage could disappear from places
climate more akin with the Spanish London. the Cornish Coast. such as the Cairngorms.
Costas.

Opportunities Threats Opportunities Threats

Current socio-economic impacts Current environmental impacts

UK
9.26 tonnes of CO2
emitted/capita/annum

Mitigation Adaptation
Challenges Challenges
Strategies Strategies
Technological Political Socio-economic Climate Change Act 2008 Socio-economic Political Technological
Investment in new coastal
Aspirational targets: 34% reduction and flood defences.
in carbon dioxide by 2020 compared £ 20bn is a massive Retreat strategies being Building bigger
Nuclear Power Brexit may Nimbyism stopping 1 in 3 Investment in new
to 1990 levels. government financial proposed will be hard walls to stop
which is a viable threaten the wind farms in the UK from infrastructure such as air
Grants available to communities to commitment for the Outer to implement. flooding is not a
fuel shift requires investment in being established. People cooling on the Victoria
sell surplus energy from renewable Thames tidal barrage. This Government will have sustainable option
huge amount of renewable energy. like the idea of renewable line of the London
sources etc. may be needed as there is to make a decision and may just shift
technological The UK energy but not when it is in Underground. Dredging
Energy suppliers increase proportion increased development whether to defend the problem
expertise and government had their backyard. A new on the Somerset Levels at
of renewable sources used. The UK along the Thames Gateway areas like the Somerset elsewhere. E.g on
expense (£24 bn). received £4 reservoir proposed outside high cost. Government
is aiming to be coal free by 2025. (120, 000 homes built in levels. Inevitably the the Somerset
UK reliant on billion pounds Abingdon also put on hold recently announced 2% of
Already had a number of days when the past 10 years beyond cost may be too high. Levels problems
France and China. from the EU bank due to local outcry. infrastructure spending on
energy production has bee coal free. the barrage). may just be shifted
flood defences
to Bridgwater.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE TWO
NATIONS?

• Possible 33 mark question.

Assess the relative effectiveness of how Climate Change is managed

in countries of contrasting wealth (33)
Countries Bangladesh UK
(GDP, HDI, carbon
footprint etc)

Impacts

Mitigation

Adaptation
Retreat,
protect and
accommodate
 Assess the relative effectiveness of how Climate Change is managed in countries of contrasting wealth (33)
Countries Bangladesh UK
(GDP, HDI, carbon
footprint etc)

Impacts

Mitigation Use of ceramic stoves on a local level. Fuel shift

Did not have to sign up to Kyoto Protocol. Climate Change Act 2008
Does not even have a minister or envoy for Part of EUETS
climate change. £4billion/ year from the EU bank to be spent on
renewable energy.

Adaptation
Retreat, protect
and
accommodate