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The Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change Study- Mozambique

Lessons and Recommendations

Rather than climate change eclipsing development, it is important to think of socio-economic development as overcoming climate change. The best adaptation to climate change is rapid development that leads to a more flexible and resilient society. In this sense, the adaptation agenda largely reinforces the existing development agenda.

The following lessons emerge from the EACC Mozambique country case study:

  • Adaptation entails increasing the climate resilience of current development plans, with particular attention to transport systems and agriculture and coastal development.
  • Changes in design standards, such as sealing unpaved roads, can substantially reduce the impacts of climate change even without additional resources.
  • The imperative of increasing agricultural productivity and the substantial uncertainties of climate change argue strongly for enhanced investments in agricultural research.
  • Investments to protect the vast majority of coastal regions of Mozambique from sea level rise may not be cost effective; however, high value and vulnerable locations, such as cities and ports, merit specific consideration, especially those at risk for severe storm surge events.
  • “Soft” adaptation measures are potentially powerful. Because the majority of the capital stock in 2050 remains to be installed, land use planning that channels investment into lower risk locations can substantially reduce risk at low cost.
  • Viewed more broadly, flexible and more resilient societies will be better prepared to confront the challenges posed by climate change. Hence, investments in human capital contribute both to the adaptation agenda and to the development agenda.

Suggested citation

The World Bank Group (2010). Economics of Adaptation to Climate Change: Mozambique Country Study.Washington, DC: Retrieved from http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/2010/01/16436674/mozambique-economics-adaptation-climate-change-vol-1-2[Accessed May 2014]

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