From deadly floods in Pakistan to drought-driven starvation in the Horn of Africa, the system-wide effects of the climate change crisis are already here. Even if the world hits its target of limiting global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees C (2.7 degrees F) — which all signs point to us overshooting — many dangerous climate change impacts are already locked in.

The most recent UN climate summit (COP27) brought mixed results for adaptation and left many disappointed. On the one hand, COP27 achieved an historic breakthrough, with wealthy nations agreeing to establish a fund to support vulnerable countries in responding to losses and damages caused by climate change. On the other hand, despite adaptation being a central focus of the summit, key decisions on finance and implementation fell short of expectations.