Surprisingly Simple Strategies for Effective Climate Adaptation

As the impacts of a warming planet escalate, leading to increased damages and health issues in vulnerable regions, the dialogue surrounding climate change is evolving. The focus is shifting from merely mitigating its effects to adapting to the new realities it presents.

A recent report evaluating adaptation tools globally reveals that some of the most effective solutions are surprisingly straightforward. These include basic technologies like fans and sea dikes—mounds constructed from stone or dirt.

“These are technologies that the world has been deploying for centuries or millennia,” stated Mekala Krishnan, a partner at McKinsey Global Institute and co-author of the report. “We’ve been doing this for a while, so that’s the good news.”

The study encompasses solutions for extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and droughts, contributing to the expanding conversation on adaptation strategies.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has recently urged a global “pivot” towards funding adaptation methods. His foundation announced a commitment of $1.4 billion in November to enhance access to innovations that bolster resilience among farmers in Africa and Asia. Additionally, this year’s United Nations climate summit concluded with a new agreement to triple funding for adaptation measures to $120 billion annually by 2035.

However, more research is essential in the realm of adaptation, which has received significantly less attention than emission-reduction technologies, according to Krishnan. The McKinsey report evaluated 20 tools designed to help communities withstand climate change, comparing their average costs and effectiveness in reducing damage.

For instance, while fans may not suffice in the hottest regions, they still mitigate heat risk and are considerably cheaper to install and operate compared to air conditioners. Conversely, planting trees in urban areas is less cost-effective and offers less protection than fans or AC units.

In terms of flood protection, the advantages of sea dikes and levees far outweigh their costs, providing 90% to 100% effectiveness in reducing flood damages. Among the two, sea dikes are notably more economical to construct and maintain.

Detention basins, which are designed to store stormwater runoff, offer similar protection to sea dikes and levees but are less cost-efficient.

This comparative analysis underscores that adaptation can be a wise investment for affected regions, particularly those most susceptible to climate change, which are often among the world’s poorest areas, as noted by Krishnan.

In the U.S., over 90% of individuals in areas prone to heat stress have access to air conditioning. In contrast, only about 3% of people in sub-Saharan Africa and 11% in developing parts of Asia have similar access.

Despite the relative affordability of some solutions, many communities still find them out of reach. Currently, the world allocates $190 billion annually to protect 1.2 billion people from extreme weather. However, it would require $540 billion to extend that level of protection to all 4.1 billion individuals living in climate-exposed areas, according to the study.

“About 4 billion people live in places today that experience heat, wildfire, drought, and flooding,” Krishnan remarked. “Yet only about a billion are safeguarded by one of the 20 measures we examined in this research.”

Photograph: An electrician installs a ceiling fan in Mumbai, India; Photo credit: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.

As the impacts of a warming planet escalate, leading to increased damages and health issues in vulnerable regions, the dialogue surrounding climate change is evolving. The focus is shifting from merely mitigating its effects to adapting to the new realities it presents.

A recent report evaluating adaptation tools globally reveals that some of the most effective solutions are surprisingly straightforward. These include basic technologies like fans and sea dikes—mounds constructed from stone or dirt.

“These are technologies that the world has been deploying for centuries or millennia,” stated Mekala Krishnan, a partner at McKinsey Global Institute and co-author of the report. “We’ve been doing this for a while, so that’s the good news.”

The study encompasses solutions for extreme heat, flooding, wildfires, and droughts, contributing to the expanding conversation on adaptation strategies.

Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has recently urged a global “pivot” towards funding adaptation methods. His foundation announced a commitment of $1.4 billion in November to enhance access to innovations that bolster resilience among farmers in Africa and Asia. Additionally, this year’s United Nations climate summit concluded with a new agreement to triple funding for adaptation measures to $120 billion annually by 2035.

However, more research is essential in the realm of adaptation, which has received significantly less attention than emission-reduction technologies, according to Krishnan. The McKinsey report evaluated 20 tools designed to help communities withstand climate change, comparing their average costs and effectiveness in reducing damage.

For instance, while fans may not suffice in the hottest regions, they still mitigate heat risk and are considerably cheaper to install and operate compared to air conditioners. Conversely, planting trees in urban areas is less cost-effective and offers less protection than fans or AC units.

In terms of flood protection, the advantages of sea dikes and levees far outweigh their costs, providing 90% to 100% effectiveness in reducing flood damages. Among the two, sea dikes are notably more economical to construct and maintain.

Detention basins, which are designed to store stormwater runoff, offer similar protection to sea dikes and levees but are less cost-efficient.

This comparative analysis underscores that adaptation can be a wise investment for affected regions, particularly those most susceptible to climate change, which are often among the world’s poorest areas, as noted by Krishnan.

In the U.S., over 90% of individuals in areas prone to heat stress have access to air conditioning. In contrast, only about 3% of people in sub-Saharan Africa and 11% in developing parts of Asia have similar access.

Despite the relative affordability of some solutions, many communities still find them out of reach. Currently, the world allocates $190 billion annually to protect 1.2 billion people from extreme weather. However, it would require $540 billion to extend that level of protection to all 4.1 billion individuals living in climate-exposed areas, according to the study.

“About 4 billion people live in places today that experience heat, wildfire, drought, and flooding,” Krishnan remarked. “Yet only about a billion are safeguarded by one of the 20 measures we examined in this research.”

Photograph: An electrician installs a ceiling fan in Mumbai, India; Photo credit: Dhiraj Singh/Bloomberg

Copyright 2025 Bloomberg.