--- title: "Short note: Climate change mitigation and adaptation" subject: "Technology, Environment and Society" chapter: 6 key: "semester_7/technology_environment_and_society:cc-mitigation-adaptation-note" source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/cc-mitigation-adaptation-note site: BCT Engineering --- # Short note: Climate change mitigation and adaptation Technology, Environment and Society · Chapter 6: Climate Change - Asked in: 2082 Baisakh, 4 marks - Video: [Mitigation and Adaptation in Climate Change |TARGET IES| IES lectures-Environment|](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-MnGwX55SM) — TARGET IES (original) - Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14 - Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/cc-mitigation-adaptation-note - Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/technology_environment_and_society/chapter-6 ## Question Write a short note on climate change: mitigation and adaptation measures. ## Short answer Mitigation reduces the cause of climate change by cutting greenhouse gas emissions and increasing sinks, for example renewable energy, energy efficiency, electric transport and forest conservation. Adaptation reduces the harm by adjusting systems, for example drought-tolerant crops, early warning systems, glacial lake lowering and climate-resilient infrastructure. Both are needed: mitigation limits future damage, adaptation deals with change already happening. ## Answer Responses to climate change are of two kinds: **mitigation** (reducing the cause) and **adaptation** (reducing the harm). #### Mitigation **Mitigation** means actions that **reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase carbon sinks**, so that warming is limited. - Shift to renewable energy – hydropower, solar, wind, biogas. - Energy efficiency – LED lights, efficient motors, better buildings. - Electric transport and public transport (Nepal's hydropower suits EVs). - Forest conservation, afforestation and REDD+. - Clean cooking – electric/induction cookers, improved stoves. - Sustainable agriculture, less methane from waste (composting, landfill gas capture). - Carbon pricing and cleaner industrial processes. #### Adaptation **Adaptation** means adjusting human and natural systems to **cope with actual or expected climate impacts**. - Drought- and flood-tolerant crop varieties, changed cropping calendars. - Water harvesting, spring recharge ponds, irrigation. - Early warning systems for floods and GLOFs, and lowering the water level of dangerous glacial lakes (e.g. Imja and Tsho Rolpa). - Climate-resilient roads, bridges and hydropower design. - Disaster preparedness and insurance. - Health measures against dengue and heat stress. - Plans in Nepal: NAPA (2010), LAPA (2011), National Adaptation Plan (2021). | Basis | Mitigation | Adaptation | |---|---|---| | Aim | Reduce cause | Reduce impact | | Scale of benefit | Global, long-term | Local, immediate | | Example | Solar power | Flood early warning | Both are needed: mitigation limits future damage; adaptation deals with change already happening. ## Check yourself The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why. 1. Mitigation means: A. Adjusting to impacts B. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions or increasing carbon sinks C. Building flood walls D. Buying insurance Answer: B. Mitigation reduces the cause of climate change. (Key point: Mitigation) 2. Adaptation means: A. Cutting emissions B. Adjusting systems to cope with actual or expected climate impacts C. Planting forests only D. Using solar panels Answer: B. Adaptation reduces harm from impacts. (Key point: Adaptation) 3. Which pair is correctly classified? A. Solar power - adaptation; flood early warning - mitigation B. Solar power - mitigation; flood early warning - adaptation C. Both mitigation D. Both adaptation Answer: B. Solar cuts emissions; early warning reduces impact. (Key point: Examples) 4. Compared with adaptation, mitigation's benefit is: A. Local and immediate B. Global and long-term C. None D. Only for farmers Answer: B. Mitigation benefits are global and long-term; adaptation benefits are local and immediate. (Key point: Scale of benefit) ## Related in Technology, Environment and Society - [Climate change threat, impact and mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-threat-impact-mitigation) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 3 - [Climate change gases, impact and mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-gases-impact-mitigation) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change gases, mitigation and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-gases-international-efforts) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change: cause, impact and mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-cause-impact-mitigation) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change gases and mitigation interventions](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-gases-interventions) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 - [Climate change impacts in Nepal and international efforts](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Ftechnology_environment_and_society%3Acc-impacts-nepal-international) — Technology, Environment and Society, chapter 6 ## Related in other subjects - [Climate change and renewable mitigation](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Aclimate-change-renewables-mitigation) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 4 - [Mitigation measures of erosion](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_4%2Fengineering_geology_ii%3Aerosion-mitigation) — Engineering Geology II, chapter 5 - [Biogas routes and climate change](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Fenergy_environment_and_society%3Abiogas-routes-climate-change) — Energy Environment and Society, chapter 3 - [APA and MLA: newspaper article (Clinton on Climate Change)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Fcommunication_english%3Aapa-mla-harris-clinton-climate) — Communication English, chapter 4