Scorched Earth: Climate Adaptation on a Boiling Planet

This essay argues that climate adaptation is becoming an increasingly urgent complement to emissions reduction as the impacts of global warming intensify, while cautioning that adaptation cannot take precedence over mitigation. Drawing on recent heatwaves, floods, and other climate extremes, the authors show how rising temperatures are exposing infrastructure vulnerabilities, increasing mortality, and exacerbating social and economic inequalities. While highlighting successful adaptation measures such as early warning systems, resilient infrastructure, and disaster preparedness, the essay warns that adaptation is unevenly distributed, underfunded, and shaped by political choices over who and what is protected. It concludes that strengthening adaptive capacity, particularly for the most vulnerable populations, will be an increasingly important governance challenge as climate risks accelerate, even as rapid decarbonization remains essential.