Building climate-adaptive society a task that cannot be delayed

Despite being hit hard by Typhoon Maysak last month, parts of the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region had by late August moved from emergency rescue to recovery and reconstruction mode. But whether local livelihoods are better protected before the next disaster strikes is where climate resilience is truly tested.

On Wednesday, a massive flash flood caused heavy casualties along the China-Nepal border.

These disasters, caused by extreme weather, not only highlight the need for fast-rescue responses, but also stronger forecasting, better land-use planning, resilient infrastructure and closer coordination among departments and countries.

On Aug 22, the Copernicus Climate Change Service of the European Union said the daily global average sea surface temperature over the extra-polar ocean had reached 21.1 C, the highest on record since 1979. Warmer oceans raise sea levels through thermal expansion, strengthen marine heatwaves and can feed more moisture and energy into extreme rainfall and some storm systems.

On Tuesday, Panama's government declared a nationwide state of emergency over the climate impacts of El Nino, citing risks of drought, floods and possible effects on Panama Canal shipping, agriculture and energy supply. It said El Nino was forecast to strengthen from October this year through March 2027.

The policy response to climate risk cannot stop at emergency relief or emissions reduction alone. If climate change is testing communities in Guangxi, causing sudden flood risks across borders, warming the world's oceans and threatening canal shipping and agriculture in Panama, adaptation has to become a normal part of national planning, public investment and grassroots governance. This is the context in which China's pledge to basically establish a climate-adaptive society by 2035, included in China's 2035 Nationally Determined Contributions under the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, should be viewed as a part of its broader efforts to strengthen climate resilience.

China is among a relatively small number of countries that have explicitly included the building of a climate-adaptive or climate-resilient society in their national climate pledges. That sends a clear message: adaptation is integral to the country's modernization.

Without deeper emissions reductions, climate risks will continue to rise, and adaptation costs will become heavier. When the next extreme event comes, will communities, infrastructure and institutions be ready?

The Guangxi floods show that flood control is not only about rescue after the roads are inundated or residents are trapped. It also involves weather monitoring, early warning, reservoir safety, urban drainage, land-use planning, transport, power supply, communications, healthcare and post-disaster recovery. In rural areas, such weather events affect crops, livestock, drinking water safety and the resilience of local livelihoods.

A climate-adaptive society cannot be built by environmental authorities alone. Climate risk must be incorporated into economic planning, urban construction, agricultural policy, infrastructure investment and grassroots governance. Standards for roads, bridges, reservoirs, power grids and drainage systems need to reflect the changing climate, not only historical averages. Early warnings must reach vulnerable communities in time. Local governments need the technical capacity and financial tools to shift from emergency response to risk prevention.

Building a climate-adaptive society is not a defensive slogan. It is a modernization task. It means using better science, stronger planning, more resilient infrastructure and fairer public services to reduce losses before disasters strike. As extreme weather tests communities from Guangxi to the Himalayan region and beyond, the priority is to translate climate adaptation goals into actions.