What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation? Provide a couple of examples for each and discuss which you believe is going to be more important for states in dealing with climate change.

 

Mitigation refers to the measures that are taken to curb and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It is aimed at minimizing and tackling the cases of possible impacts of climate change. In contrast, adaptation refers to the measures based on reducing vulnerability to effect of climate change as well as take advantage of the opportunities that arises in tackling climate change (Berry et al. 2015) 

Some examples of Mitigation measures include:

- Greater use of renewable energy

- Carbon tax on emissions markets

- Electrification of industrial processes

- Being energy efficient

Examples of Adaptation measures

- More secure infrastructure and facility locations

- Reforestation and landscape restoration

- Research and development on possible temperature behavior, catastrophes and other natural phenomenon

- Having preventive as well as precautionary measures such as in health issues and evacuation plans. 

For states that deal with climate change, adoption of the two measures is important. For now, adaptation measures can be used as states try to find better mitigation measures. Mitigation measures should be a long term project but the adaptation measures can be used for the short run. For instance, landscape restoration and reforestation can be adopted right now as companies try to electrify their industrial processes.