Editing IPCC:AR6/WGII/Chapter-1 (section)

==== 1.4.4.1 Limits to Adaptation and Relation to Transformation ====

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A species’ ability to adapt may be significantly impacted by the dynamics of interactions between the ecosystems and species, so that a species may reach its limit to adapt even in a gradually changing environment, leading to sudden changes in range fragmentation ( [[#Radchuk--2019|Radchuk et al., 2019]] ). As human interventions affect the ability of species and ecosystems to adapt, a deeper understanding on ecosystems and species interactions and evolution in response to climate change is important in order to reduce future biodiversity losses ( [[#Nadeau--2019|Nadeau and Urban, 2019]] ). Soft limits are usually associated with human systems whereas hard limits are more proximate for natural systems due to inability to adapt to biophysical changes (Chapter 16) ( ''medium confidence'' ). Many human and natural systems are near their soft adaptation limits for instance, terrestrial and aquatic species and ecosystems, coastal communities, water security, crop production, and human health (Chapters 2;3; 4; 5; 7; 16; [[#Dow--2013|Dow et al., 2013]] ).

The concept of limits to adaptation is dynamic in terms of the temporal, spatial and contextual dimensions of climate change risks, impacts and responses (Chapter 17; [[#Storch--2018|Storch, 2018]] ). Adaptation limits depend on a complex function of interactions between social, ecological, technological and climatic elements, which appear to have thresholds beyond which adaptation can be infeasible and represent limits to adaptation. Such thresholds are endogenous to society and hence contingent on ethics, knowledge, attitudes, culture, governance, institutions and policies ( [[#Abrahamson--2009|Abrahamson et al., 2009]] ; [[#Tschakert--2017|Tschakert et al., 2017]] ). Since AR5, the evidence on limits to adaptation has been advanced across regions and sectors. Many adaptation constraints (financial, governance, institutional and policy, etc.) lead to soft adaptation limits (see Chapter 16 for detailed evidence on constraints and adaptation limits). The ability of actors to overcome these constraints including social constraints to behavioural changes, depends on additional adaptation implementation. ( [[#Abrahamson--2009|Abrahamson et al., 2009]] ; [[#Juan--2011|Juan, 2011]] ; [[#Di%20Virgilio--2019|Di Virgilio et al., 2019]] ). Thus, socioeconomic, technological, governance and institutional systems or policies can be changed or transformed in responses to the different dimension of adaptation limits to climate change and extreme events.

When a limit (soft) is reached, then intolerable risks and impacts may occur, and additional adaptations (incremental or transformational) are required.to reduce or avoid these risks and impacts (Chapters 16; 17). IPCC SR1.5 defined incremental adaptation that maintains the essence and integrity of a system or process at a given scale, whereas transformational adaptation that changes the fundamental attributes of a socio-ecological system in anticipation of climate change and its impacts. When incremental adaptation is insufficient to avoid intolerable risks, transformational adaptation may be able to extend the potential to sustain human and natural systems ( [[#IPCC--2018a|IPCC, 2018a]] ; Cross-Chapter Box LOSS in Chapter 17; [[#Klein--2014b|Klein et al., 2014b]] ). Transformational adaptation can allow a system to extend beyond its soft limits and prevent soft limits from becoming hard limits. This report provides evidence of assessing transformational adaptation in terms of scope, depth, speed and limits to adaptation (Chapter 16).

This report assesses adaptation limits (soft and hard) and residual risks for some actors and systems (Chapter 16). '''Residual risk''' is the risk that remains following adaptation and risk reduction efforts (SROCC). Residual risk is also used as other terms such as ‘residual impacts’, ‘residual loss and damage’ and ‘residual damage’. As noted in AR5 WGII ( [[#IPCC--2014a|IPCC, 2014a]] , b), the residual risk is larger or smaller depending on a society’s choices about the appropriate level of adaptation and its ability to achieve an appropriate level. The intersection of inequality and poverty presents significant adaptation limits, resulting in residual impacts for vulnerable groups, including women, youth, elderly, ethnic and religious minorities, Indigenous People and refugees (Section 8.4.5). An appropriate level of adaptation, which ideally reflects a balance between the desired level of risk and the actions needed to achieve that level of risk, depends on the solution space, the society’s views on climate justice, the tolerance for climate-related risks, the society’s tolerance for the costs and other impacts of the actions needed to reduce risk. IPCC’s special reports stated that residual risks rise with increasing global temperatures from 1.5°C to 2°C (SR 1.5) and emerge from irreversible forms of land degradation (SRCCL). Among other risks, this report evidenced that, at risk to coastal flooding from sea level rise, nature-based adaptation measures (e.g., coral reefs, mangroves, marshes) reach hard limits beginning at 1.5 ° C of global warming (Chapter 16). Residual risks may lead to exceeding the limits of adaptation, hence, this report underscores on the role of decision making on transformational adaptation for dealing with residual risk as well as soft and hard adaptation limits (Cross-Chapter Box LOSS in Chapter 17). Section 1.5 addresses transformational adaptation in the context of climate resilient development pathways since such adaptation is inseparable from mitigation and sustainable development.

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