Full Title: Climate Change: Defining Adaptation and Resilience, with Implications for Policy
Author(s): Congressional Research Service
Publisher(s): Congressional Research Service
Publication Date: May 11, 2021
Full Text: Download Resource
Description (excerpt):
Congress has increased its attention to risks that climate variability and change pose to communities, the economy, and other dimensions of society. Legislative provisions related to climate change have referenced resilience or adaptation. Federal, state, and local agencies, and other stakeholders, often intend different meanings when they refer to resilience and climate change adaptation.
This product presents selected definitions in use for resilience and climate change adaptation, and describes trends and evolutions in use related to climate change. To assist Congress as it considers proposals to enhance adaptation and resilience, and exercises its appropriations and oversight functions, this product seeks to clarify and identify some of the choices implied by differences among definitions. Terms used and definitions provided in legislation, regulation, and guidance may shape how executive agencies or the courts interpret congressional direction and its implementation. Congress may wish to consider whether to clarify terms in legislation or to give discretion to the executive branch. Statutory language may be broad, precise, or ambiguous.