Adaptation (in the context of climate change) refers to adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their effects, which moderates harmful impacts or exploits beneficial opportunities.

In Guyana, studies project that by the end of this century, temperatures can increase by up to 4°C, weather patterns will become more extreme and sea level is projected to rise to as much as two feet.

We have learnt that changes in climate have occurred and these have been mainly linked to high levels of Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Scientific studies such as the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, 2007 (IPCC FAR) indicate that continued GHG emissions at or above current rates, would cause further warming which could lead to catastrophic changes for the Earth.

The IPCC SRES developed a set of climate change cenarios that show various combinations of demographic, economic and technological driving forces could affect future GHG emissions. The various emissions projections under different SRES scenarios are widely used in the ssessments of future climate change.