Towards sustainable adaptation pathways : a concept for integrative actions to achieve the 2030 Agenda, Paris Agreement and Sendai Framework : conceptual and analytical paper

2015 was a watershed year for addressing global challenges. Under the umbrella of the United Nations, the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction were adopted. Six years after their adoption, implementation of these post-2015 agendas lags behind in many aspects, raising the need for exploring pathways that enhance their effective implementation. One way forward is working towards identifying and using synergies between them. The underlying policy fields of climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development are linked through a common emphasis on reducing vulnerabilities. Operational and policy instruments are available to realize synergies at the implementation level. Nevertheless, a lack of institutional capacities, policy-making in silos instead of cross-sectoral coordination and insufficient funding are just some of the barriers hindering coherent policies in practice. This report introduces the concept of Sustainable Adaptation Pathways (SAPs) that can act as guidance when planning and implementing integrated policies that aim to foster sustainable adaptation measures. SAPs describe a coherent set of alternative adaptation strategies and procedures composed of measures and policies to strengthen the capacities of populations, institutions and ecosystems to adapt to climate-related risks over time while enhancing the social justice, environmental integrity and economic sustainability of socio-ecological systems. Case studies are used to illustrate specific aspects of applying the concept in practice. In addition, practical recommendations for implementing SAPs are derived, taking into account both enabling contextual factors and lock-in effects.