The Beneficial Opportunities of Climate Change for Enhanced Socio-Economic Development: A Review

Many studies on adaptation to the impacts of climate change have been undertaken globally since the passing of the United Nations Framework Convention for Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 1992. This is because the UNFCCC recognizes that climate change is one of the main challenges to sustainable development. However, many of the studies have focused on the negative impacts of climate change and the adaptation strategies thereto. Despite the fact that climate change is known to have both negative and positive impacts, the positive impacts of climate change and the strategies for benefiting from them have not been given sufficient attention by researchers. This paper reviews the literature produced by researchers focusing on adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The review in question has shown that a myriad of studies focus on the negative impacts of climate change and adaptation strategies thereto in various socio-economic sectors. It has also shown that only a few studies have investigated the positive impacts of climate change. This paper argues for a need to change viewpoint from studying adaptation to the negative impacts of climate change alone to the inclusive approach in which both adaptation to negative and positive impacts of climate change will receive equal consideration. The approach will improve the capacity of various socio-economic systems to sustainably adapt to the current and future impacts of climate change.