Adaptation to climate change, a priority for the COP

Governments will meet in Antalya, Turkey, from November 9 to 20, 2026, for the 31st United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31), to discuss the progress made and agree on new measures against climate change. What should Catalonia and Spain advocate for at COP31? Adaptation to climate change. Adaptation consists of preparing for climate risks and reducing their impacts, for example, by protecting our coasts, improving infrastructure, and protecting people from extreme heat and droughts.

The devastating floods caused by the DANA in Valencia demonstrated how ill-prepared we can be for the extreme weather events that climate change may bring in the coming decades. However, Catalonia's improved flood warning systems are now contributing to saving lives. The experience of Spanish regions shows that investing in infrastructure and prevention systems can make a real difference. We cannot avoid all extreme weather events, but we can significantly reduce their impacts.

Global temperatures have already increased by around 1.4°C compared to pre-industrial levels. People around the world are already suffering the effects of climate change, including deadly heatwaves, forest fires, and high-intensity hurricanes. Climate negotiations must now address a dual goal: preventing additional damage by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and adapting our societies to the impacts we are already facing.

What can we propose at COP31 to promote adaptation? Currently, some countries do not have the necessary funds to adapt quickly enough. Low- and middle-income countries will need more than 310 billion dollars annually for adaptation by 2035, while international public funding for adaptation was only between 26 and 28 billion dollars annually in 2022-2023.

Therefore, international cooperation is essential. Last year, governments committed to tripling funding for adaptation by 2035. However, there is still no clear roadmap to achieve this goal. We should promote higher funding for adaptation and clear plans for its use, both in our territory and in partner countries.

The main reason is simple: adaptation is an investment. If we invest in adaptation today, we can save lives and reduce public spending in the long term, and avoid much greater damage in the future. Evidence from around the world provides solid support for this idea. According to the World Bank, investing in more resilient infrastructure in low- and middle-income countries generates about four dollars in benefits for every dollar invested, and recovers its cost in 96% of the thousands of future scenarios examined. Likewise, the Global Commission on Adaptation estimated that investing 1.8 trillion dollars in adaptation between 2020 and 2030 could generate 7.1 trillion dollars in net benefits.

The financing gap is especially worrying in the case of adaptation measures that can save lives. Research shows that adaptation can substantially reduce deaths caused by climate change. A global study estimates this reduction at around 30%. However, health receives only a small fraction of adaptation funding. Between 2009 and 2019, health-related activities received only 1.4 billion dollars, that is, 4.9% of international funding for adaptation. Projects focused primarily on health received only 0.2%. Given that health has been identified as a priority in the COP31 Action Agenda established by the Turkish presidency, the Catalan and Spanish governments should promote greater investment in adaptation in the field of health. This should include not only investments in health systems, but also measures outside the health sector that protect people's health, such as better housing, access to cooling systems, and better nutrition.

More generally, adaptation should focus on the outcomes we want to achieve, rather than on individual sectors. Food security is a good example of this. Almost a billion people around the world already struggle to access enough food, which makes them especially vulnerable to climate change. For these populations, adaptation should aim to reduce hunger. This means investing not only in more resilient agriculture, but also in food distribution, refrigeration, market access, and measures to make food more affordable. In remote areas, where poor distribution networks can threaten nutrition and harvests, adaptation must encompass the entire food system. Public investment and coordination have an important role to play.

Preparing now costs less than repairing damage later, and it saves lives. At the Antalya climate summit, Catalonia and Spain can raise their voices to defend this idea, for the people here and for those in the countries that need the most help.