A new World Bank report that considers the economic costs of climate adaptation and proposes adaptation strategies for areas including infrastructure and buildings, coastal protection, water resources, flooding and agriculture, with special consideration given to the unique challenges of atoll islands.
The Pacific Possible: Climate Change and Disaster Resilience report highlights the costs of making Pacific coastlines more resilient to climate change, which vary between one and thirteen percent of GDP across all Pacific Island countries, with higher costs in atoll island states such as Kiribati and Marshall Islands. The report suggests that to manage uncertainties around future climate change and shoreline behavior, flexibility should be incorporated in the design of coastal protection works by including a range of options such as coast protection structures, land use planning and the planting of mangroves. The report provides evidence for policymakers considering incorporating climate adaptation activities into infrastructure development, demonstrating that taking steps now to ensure that buildings and construction activities can better withstand climate change-related events will reduce impacts in future years.
