Climate change adaptation and development : a conceptual framework

Climate change is reshaping the economic environment in which households make decisions, generating diverse adaptive responses and increasing demand for data that can guide effective policy. Yet current measurement efforts remain fragmented, reflecting two central gaps: the lack of systematic data on household adaptation and the absence of a structured diagnostic framework to interpret it. This paper addresses both by developing a literature-informed framework for diagnosing household-level climate adaptation, with a focus on adjustments in income-generating activities as the main channel through which households respond to climate risk. The framework is organised around four stages: mapping income streams, assessing exposure, identifying feasible responses, and analysing take-up and the constraints that limit adoption. It explicitly integrates objective and subjective dimensions of exposure, recognising the role of perceptions, beliefs, and information. By situating decisions within broader institutional and economic contexts, the framework provides a foundation for improving survey design, strengthening diagnosis of adaptation gaps, and generating more policy-relevant and comparable data. In turn, this can support governments and institutions seeking to scale effective adaptation and build up household's climate resilience.