We know what climate change is and what we can do to slow it down. However, the question of how to cope with the consequences we are currently experiencing and may face in the future remains the missing piece of the puzzle. Isn’t it clear that the future will not resemble the present or the past? For this reason, predicting climate change-induced shocks in advance, being prepared in this context, learning from past experiences, and adapting to new circumstances—in other words, the concept of climate resilience—is becoming increasingly important.
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s definition of climate resilience is very clear and comprehensive:
“The ability of social, economic, and environmental systems to cope with a hazardous event or trend while maintaining their essential functions, identity, and structure; and to sustain their capacity for adaptation, learning, and transformation.”
Building resilient structures, infrastructure, or cities has, of course, been on the agenda for a very long time. However, especially over the past 30 years, and particularly in light of climate change, the concept of ecological resilience—the ability to remain functional by adapting to new conditions—has increasingly come to the forefront. Since it is not possible to completely prevent climate change, the primary goal today is no longer a return to the “old normal,” but rather to protect what we have, be prepared for shocks, and, of course, slow down the pace of climate change as much as possible.
Unless the necessary steps are taken regarding adaptation and resilience, there is a risk that the effects of climate change will leave 80 percent of the world’s poorest people living in vulnerable conditions by 2030 and push 100 million people into extreme poverty by 2030 and 720 million by 2050. Alternatively, it is expected to reduce agricultural yields by up to 30% by 2050—with small-scale farmers being the hardest hit—and to increase food prices by 20%, which is of critical importance to billions of low-income people. In addition, it is estimated that the number of people without access to sufficient water will rise from 3.6 billion to 5 billion by 2050, and that hundreds of millions of people living in coastal cities will be forced to leave their homes. However, the implementation of effective disaster risk management practices could reduce the number of people requiring international humanitarian aid following climate-related disasters by 90 percent by 2050.
Infrastructure Alone Is Not Enough; Human Health Must Also Be at the Center of Resilience
Therefore, for climate resilience, it is extremely important to have early warning systems, climate risk assessments, emergency plans and responses, the adaptation of infrastructure and services to climate change, capacity building, and increased public and private sector financing to make all of these more accessible. According to the World Economic Forum’s report titled “The Resilience Opportunity: Strengthening Climate Resilience Through Public-Private Partnerships,” published at the end of last year, approximately $300 to $500 billion in annual investment is needed for large-scale climate adaptation and resilience infrastructure.
For example, the extreme heat waves the world experienced this summer are not merely a health or environmental issue; they must be addressed as a systemic risk in terms of insurance, finance, the workforce, infrastructure, and economic stability. While the treatment costs for diseases caused by climate change are projected to reach approximately $1.1 trillion by 2050, placing the health of the general public and workers at the center of climate resilience is becoming increasingly critical. The insurance system is one of the essential components of resilience. Structural changes in the insurance system are essential for stronger climate resilience. New insurance models must evolve into a structure that identifies risks and takes preventive measures—going beyond merely paying the cost of the risk to actively reducing it.
It is essential to integrate all these efforts with a form of community resilience, because resilience plans developed through public-private partnerships, particularly with governments, ensure that communities remain flexible and able to respond quickly to changing climate conditions.
Good Examples Are on the Rise
Today, good examples of climate resilience are beginning to emerge in various parts of the world. For example, in Bangladesh—with support from the World Bank—as part of the Community-Based Climate Change Project, the floors of homes in some areas were raised, rainwater harvesting systems were installed, and farming methods resistant to drought and flooding were adopted. Thousands of volunteers played a role in broader disaster management and early warning systems, thereby placing communities at the center of resilience efforts.
Today, many cities are affected by both the urban heat island effect and floods caused by heavy rainfall. As part of climate resilience efforts, four cities in Poland have implemented the “Green Bus Stop” as a nature-based solution to turn rainwater into a reusable resource and reduce the urban heat island effect. Each stop features a green roof with vegetation and a water-retention layer. This roof can retain up to 90 percent of the rainwater that falls on its surface. During dry periods, the water is used by the plants and evaporates, thereby replenishing the capacity for the next rainfall.
Antalya’s Action Agenda Is Full of Resilience-Related Topics
Despite all the positive examples, there are still many challenges facing the issue of resilience. In this context, COP31, which Antalya will host in November, is expected to pave the way for significant steps toward resolving this issue. Of course, the funding gap—the summit’s biggest challenge—will be on the agenda. The most vulnerable communities, which have the hardest time accessing funding, are crucial because resilience is needed most in neighborhoods, villages, and even individual households. Therefore, increasing resilience capacity at the local level will be a key topic.
Another issue is that not every investment in climate adaptation actually increases resilience. For this reason, it is essential to ask not only who and how many people a climate resilience project protects, but also whether it will provide long-term protection and whether it might increase risks elsewhere. Furthermore, implementing climate resilience measures while taking social policies into account is becoming increasingly important, as it is now inevitable to view resilience as a holistic concept—encompassing housing, employment, education, and health.
For this reason, the topic of resilience is likely to feature more prominently than ever on COP31’s action agenda. For example, the COP31 Presidency has explicitly included “Climate-Resilient Cities” among its priorities. Another of COP31’s official priorities is “enhancing the resilience of vulnerable regions, oceans, and seas.” In this context, oceans and seas will also be addressed from a resilience perspective. Furthermore, climate resilience is directly linked to food security. This means developing systems that are more resilient to the effects of drought, extreme heat, floods, and changing precipitation patterns on agricultural production. Furthermore, under the heading “Dynamic and Resilient Health Systems,” roadmaps are expected to be established for creating health systems that are resilient to climate risks, low-carbon, and equitable.
Adapting to climate change and building resilience is a long-term journey. Even if steps are taken on all of the above topics, our work will not be done. Still, it is important to set out on this path and remain committed to change; after all, the days ahead will never be the same as today or the past…
Date: 26 August 2026
