Climate change adaptation: priority research areas

Authors: Jenny Bird and Ines Wittke

Adaptation is critical to ensure that people, communities, businesses, and natural systems are resilient to the inevitable impacts of climate change, including more frequent and severe flooding, heatwaves, and other extreme weather events.

However, the UK faces significant challenges in adapting to climate change. While current policy is coordinated via the National Adaptation Programme (NAP) in England, there remain critical gaps in implementation and effectiveness.

Recognising this need, the Imperial Policy Forum and the Grantham Institute convened a series of workshops in May and June 2024 to identify priority areas for future research in climate adaptation, with a focus on integrating climate resilience into health, water management, and the built environment.

This report synthesises the overarching findings from these workshops, highlighting common themes and potential research questions that could help the UK improve on its current adaptation strategy.